


Love in a Different World.

by DietCokeofEvil



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Break Up, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Mental Breakdown, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-22
Updated: 2018-01-26
Packaged: 2019-03-07 22:32:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 28,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13444785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DietCokeofEvil/pseuds/DietCokeofEvil
Summary: Hermione leaves England after being dumped by Ron and starts a new life.  Enter the Dragon tamer...This is my first Harry Potter work- and I do have it complete.  I wanted to start with the first chapter to start because I'm not sure how well it will be received.  Hope you like it!I also wanted to mention that this is currently not a smutty work.  If people want it, I can change that.





	1. Chapter 1

                Hermione looked out the window of her flat as she finished packing the last of her things.  Today should have been her wedding day, but instead, she was alone- a pariah amongst the wizarding world after the public humiliation that had been her breakup with Ron. Sighing, she drew the strings together on her beaded bag, and slipped it into her pocket and took one last look around the room.  She was leaving a lot behind, including her wedding dress and other items she had accumulated for the big day, opting to take her clothes and books and a few treasured mementos with her.  She stopped and considered leaving a note, but decided against it, figuring no one would probably come to check on her anyway and after wiping one last tear, took a swig of polyjuice potion. She felt herself transforming into a random Muggle she had swiped some hair from and when the transformation was complete, walked out the door and away from her former life.

                What she was doing was so unlike her.  A life-long careful planner, who never did anything without long and careful consideration of all her options, she had decided to fling caution to the wind and hop on the first train out of London, no matter where it was going.  It was the last step of many that would have shocked her parents- if they knew who she was.  Hermione had never been able to reverse the memory charm she had cast on her parents- they were still happily living in Australia, completely unaware that they had a daughter and a life back in England.  They had not raised her to quit her job with no notice, leave her apartment, to not inform the essential people in her life of her plans and whereabouts, and they had most certainly never taught her to get on a train with no destination in mind.  But here she was, going against everything she had been raised to think was terrible behavior, stepping onto the train and finding a seat and stared dumbly out the window as it left the station.

                _Flashback.  Three months before the wedding._

_“Ron!” Hermione called as he let himself into her flat, and she got up to kiss him.  He gave her a perfunctory kiss and followed her into the living room.  He smiled briefly as she showed him a few pictures of wedding cakes she had gotten from the bakery in Diagon Alley, but she could see that something was going on.  “Something on your mind, Ron?” she asked him, concerned._

_Ron blew out his breath.  “I guess there’s no point in beating around the bush,” he said.  “I can’t marry you.”_

_Hermione frowned, confused.  “You…can’t marry me?  Why?” she asked, feeling a tightness in her chest as she processed what he said._

_“Lavender is pregnant,” he finally said.  “It’s mine.  I’ve been seeing her for months.”  Hermione didn’t say anything, but looked down, tears in her eyes.  “Look, Hermione,” he continued.  “I’ve been waiting around for you for forever.  First, you wanted to go back to Hogwarts to finish your final year.  Then you had to get your job and get settled in your career.  I always seem to come last in your life- Lavender at least gives me attention.  A man has needs, Hermione.”_

_“You have needs?” she spat back.  “When have I ever turned you away?  Yes, I wanted to finish my education- so I sat alone at Hogwarts while you went through Auror training.  Even then, I tried to make time for you as best I could, even when revising for my NEWTs.  I gave you everything I had- I took a lesser job at the Ministry so I could be here for you. I had been offered much more- careers with travel, higher profile, better pay with better opportunities, but whenever I mentioned them, you got upset because it meant I wouldn’t be around for you.  And this is how I get repaid?  How many nights when you told me you were on assignment were you actually with her instead?”  Ron didn’t say anything.  “Guess that answers my question,” she said.  “All those nights I sat around here worrying that you were in danger, you were fucking your ex-girlfriend.  I should have known. Get out, Ronald.”  She sat in her seat, refusing to look at him as he got up and stalked angrily out of the room._

The media had been awful.  Ron took his lumps of course, but for some reason, the woman always seems to bear the brunt of the attention in situations like this.  Witch Weekly ran a whole article about what happens when you don’t pay attention to your man, like Hermione Granger, and reporters sat outside her flat for days, trying to get pictures, encouraging her to cry and carry on for the camera.  She sent an owl to the Ministry taking a sabbatical from her job and became a recluse for a while, afraid to leave her home.  For some reason, Mrs. Weasley and Ginny had taken Ron’s side, and Harry was forced to stay away in order not to anger his wife and best mate, leaving Hermione wholly abandoned.

                The final straw had been when she saw a photo of Ron and Lavender in the Daily Prophet announcing their engagement, and she had been wearing Hermione’s engagement ring on her waving hand.  They were even getting married the same day that would have been hers.  No one had come to see her, to see how she was doing since the break-up, and she thought that hurt more than Ron’s leaving had.  Everyone was so wrapped up in their own lives that they hadn’t even thought of Hermione anymore.  She didn’t want to be around to see photos of the happy couple on their wedding day, so she put in her notice at the Ministry, effective immediately and packed her bag.

                As the train rolled along, Hermione took stock of herself.  She had money- reward money from her Order of Merlin and her savings from her job at the Ministry, plus royalty money from numerous books that had been written about the war in the last few years- that would get her through for a while.  Luckily, spending all those months hunting for Horcruxes, as well as the frugality her parents had instilled in her meant she could stretch that money for a long time.  She had her several Outstanding NEWT’s that would guarantee her a job anywhere in the wizarding world, provided they didn’t find out about how she left her previous employment.  She had learned a few translation spells so that she could go anywhere, language barriers not being an issue.  After studying the train schedule, she decided to start out in Switzerland. She had always wanted to go there, and she could stay in a hostel until she found something.   Hermione began to feel better already, having a start of a plan in place.


	2. Starting a New Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the kudos! I'll try to post as much as I can tonight.

                “Where do you reckon she’s gone to?” asked Harry.  He was standing in Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes talking to George about Hermione.  George and Charlie had gone around to Hermione’s flat the day after the wedding to find it deserted, which had worried him. George hadn’t spent much time at the wedding- Angelina was pregnant and uncomfortable, and both of them were not happy with how things had played out. 

                “Don’t know,” said George, shaking his head.  “I should have gone to check on her sooner.  Dad’s been asking after her for weeks, but he didn’t want to intrude.  Look, Harry, I know Ron’s your best mate, but he did a rotten thing.  I can’t believe that slag is related to us now.  Charlie almost punched Ron when he got in the other day.”

                “I know,” said Harry.  “I don’t know why Ginny chose to side with Ron on this.  I should have gone to see her- let her know I still care about her.”  He felt terrible.  Hermione had been his rock during the war, never leaving his side for a minute- he never would have been able to defeat Voldemort without her help.  When he mentioned going to see her after everything had happened, Ginny got mad.

                “You’re going to side with her over your family?” she asked him.  “Ron is your best friend, and I’m your wife.  Hermione is not a part of this family anymore.  She’ll be fine.” 

                “Gin,” Harry said.  “She doesn’t have anyone.  Her parents are gone, and now us?  That’s not right.  Not after everything she’s done.”

                “She’s a big girl,” said Ginny, “and she’ll land on her feet.  She always does.”  Harry didn’t respond.  Between his Auror duties and helping with wedding preparations, he had been kept busy, but he planned on visiting Hermione as soon as he could after Ron’s wedding was done.  In fact, he had been on his way to her flat when he stopped to see George for a few minutes.

                “I’ll have my secretary put some feelers out,” said Harry.  He was rising fast in the ranks of the Aurors, recently getting his own office and secretary, an efficient girl by the name of Elissa.  “If she takes a job with any government agency, I should be able to find her.  Until then, we’ll have to trust she knows what she’s doing.”

                George sighed.  “I know Mum feels bad.  She just is afraid that if she sides with Hermione, that she’ll be cut off from Ron and the baby.  She was looking forward to having Hermione as a real daughter.  There has to be a way to get word to Hermione- let her know that we’re thinking of her.”

                “I don’t know,” said Harry.  “I’ll try to find a way.”

………

                “Miss Granger, Dr. Schiesser will see you now.”  The older lady behind the desk smiled at Hermione as she nervously got up to enter the office.  She took a seat and looked at the older doctor sitting behind the desk, waiting for him to speak.             

                “Hermione Granger, war hero?” he asked briskly, as he studied some papers.  “Is that correct?”  Hermione blushed and nodded.  “Don’t be shy about it,” he said to her.  “Even out here, your name is famous.  Tell me, what brings you out here to interview for a position?”

                “It’s a long story, Dr. Schiesser,” Hermione said hesitantly.  “I needed to get away from London, so I came to Switzerland- and I saw your job posting for a veterinary assistant.  I don’t want to get anything with the ministry, and well…I like animals.  I thought I might be able to help you.”  She glanced up at the doctor and saw him studying her as she spoke.  “As you can see, I received an “Outstanding” on Care of Magical Creatures on both my OWLs and NEWTs, as well as on Potions and Charms.  My cat Crookshanks, got sick while I was in my last year at Hogwarts, and there was nothing I could do for him.” She swallowed thickly, still missing the enormous ginger cat that had been her pet and friend. 

                Dr. Schiesser looked back down at her records.  “I’ll be honest, Ms. Granger.  I’ve read the papers and know your situation, and you have my sympathies.  Technically, I think you are overqualified for this position, but I want to offer it to you anyway.  The pay isn’t large, but there is a small flat over the office you are welcome to.”  Tears flooded Hermione’s eyes, leaving her too overwhelmed to speak.  Dr. Schiesser continued, “I recognize that you could probably get a job anywhere you want for any rate of pay, so I will take this opportunity while I can.  I’m not getting any younger, and if you find this job and the community to your liking, you could probably end up taking over the practice when I want to retire.  Now, why don’t you get your things upstairs and get settled in and you can report tomorrow morning for your first day?”

………

                Hermione loved her new job.  She had seen the ad while she was in Bern- a veterinarian’s office in a distant magical community was looking for an assistant.  She sent a letter ahead with her papers and arrived by train a few days later to a small station outside of Glarus.  She fell in love with the little village immediately, charmed by the small inn she stayed at, and she hoped that she would be able to get the job.  She reported the next day and was shown some of her duties by the lady who had smiled at her the day before.  Mrs. Duerst was getting ready to retire and was looking forward to spending time with her grandchildren, so she was relieved they had found a replacement so quickly.  After showing her the office duties and where supplies were for overnight patients, she told her more about the community.  “It’s a lovely place, dear.  Dr. Schiesser will keep you busier than you think- not only do we have our local pets, there are some outlying farms and a nearby Dragon preserve.  It started a few years ago to help save our local breeds, and they’ve been very successful.”

                “Dragons?” asked Hermione.  “Aren’t they dangerous?”

                “They can be,” said Mrs. Duerst.  “When left to their own devices.  When provided for, and when not protecting their eggs, they are usually just fine.  They keep the population under control and sometimes take in breeds from other reserves when needed.  Dr. Schiesser will take you out there to meet them sometime this week.”

………

                “Hermione, can I see you for a minute please?”  Dr. Schiesser went to his desk and waited for her to enter.  When she sat at his desk, he picked up a copy of a newspaper and put it in front of her.  She looked at it and paled.  It was a copy of a recent Daily Prophet with a larger than life headline on top.  “Where is Hermione Granger?”  She pushed it away from her without reading it.

                “You don’t want to read it?” he asked her. 

                “No,” she said.  She bit her lip.  “You’re not going to say anything are you?”

                “Of course not, and no one in town will either,” said Dr. Schiesser reassuringly.  “I just thought you might want to read the article- there are some interviews.”  Hermione hesitated again and then picked up the paper.

_Where is Hermione Granger?_

_It has come to the Daily Prophet’s attention that Miss Hermione Jean Granger, war hero and a third of the Golden trio has been missing for several months._

_It is, of course, well noted that Miss Granger was involved in a scandal with former fiancé Ronald Weasley that ended their engagement, and it has been rumored that she had not spoken with anyone for weeks after the incident._

_“We just want to know where she is, and know that she is all right,” said Mr. George Weasley, proprietor of Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes.  “My brother Charlie and I went to see her after my brother’s wedding, and her apartment was deserted. My brother Percy told me she gave notice at her job at the Ministry as well.”  When asked about his relationship with Miss Granger, he replied, “She’s still family to me.  Just because my brother is a stupid git doesn’t mean she should be abandoned.”_

_We at the Daily Prophet tried to get a statement from Mr. Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, and the Vanquisher of You-Know-Who but received no reply.  Whether or not he has been in contact with Miss Granger is unknown.  Potter is married to Ginevra Weasley and is a top Auror of the Ministry._

_We will keep you apprised of any developments as we hear them._

                Hermione put the paper down.  “They are looking for you?” asked Dr. Schiesser.  “Maybe you should contact them?”

                “No,” said Hermione.  “I’m not in a good place for that.  Maybe someday.”


	3. A Surprise Reunion

                Hermione looked at the calendar and realized that today would have been her first wedding anniversary and that it didn’t bother her as much as she thought it would.  Time away from London had given her a perspective she never thought she would have, and she had come to realize that Ron would have made her miserable if they had stayed together.  She had started to give up her own identity for him- taking a lesser job so she wouldn’t be more successful than him, waiting around for him to make an appearance- how had she not realized?

                She had settled very comfortably into the small community over the last year and had made some new friends.  They had all known who she was but remained protective of her identity-not that it mattered out here.  No one came looking for her, but she knew that if someone did, no one would say anything.  Mrs. Duerst finally retired but came in from time to time to feed sweets to Hermione and Dr. Schiesser, sometimes bringing her grandchildren with her.  Hermione spent time with the animals, learning as much as she could under Dr. Schiesser’s guidance, and got to know the people working out at the dragon preserve as well. It was a good, quiet life, and even though she missed her friends from Hogwarts, she had no desire to go back, even for a short visit.

………

                “Charlie, I need to see you for a moment.”  Charlie Weasley turned and saw the director of the Romanian dragon preserve, Frank Grover, looking at him.  Nodding, Charlie followed him into his office and took a seat, waiting for him to speak.  “I need you to go to Switzerland for a while.”

                Charlie frowned.  “Switzerland?” he asked uncertainly.  “Is there a problem?”

                “There’s a dragon preserve near Glarus that needs some help for a while,” said the director.  “Their senior handler has a family emergency and needs to take some time.  It’s a small operation- they don’t have many people.”  Charlie didn’t say anything.  “It’s not a punishment or anything- you’re one of the best we have.”  Frank looked at Charlie.  “Charlie, you’ve been working non-stop since you and Gabrielle broke up.  You haven’t taken any time for yourself, and I worry that you are overextending yourself.  If you get too tired, that’s when accidents happen.  The Glarus preserve is an excellent alternative- you get to keep working, but it’s slower paced- you’ll have some downtime as well.”

                “I suppose you’re right,” sighed Charlie.  “Thanks, Frank.  I’ll get my things together and floo over this afternoon.”

………

                Charlie was shown around the keep, taking a few moments to look at each dragon and examine the egg clutches before sitting down with the director, Erich Stadler.  “We’re small here, Mr. Weasley.  I know it’s not the action you are used to, but these fellows will keep you on your toes.  You can stay on the keep, or there’s a small community nearby where you can find a place to stay.”

                “I can stay here,” said Charlie.  “I’m used to it.”  He paused for a moment.  “You don’t have an animal medic on staff?” 

                “No,” said Erich.  “We can handle most everything that comes up- well, our senior handler can.  That’s why we asked for someone with more training- we know you have enough knowledge to get us through until Landon returns.  There is a veterinary clinic nearby that we use for potions and other supplies.  You’ll meet them- they come out here from time to time.”  Erich studied Charlie closely, noting his red hair.  “Are you one of the Weasleys from the war?”

                “Yes,” said Charlie hesitantly.  “My entire family was there- I lost a brother.  Is that a problem?”

                “No, not at all,” said Erich.  “Just a passing curiosity.  We all waited and watched as events happened- thank you for your service.”  Charlie nodded and got up, leaving the office to set up his tent.  Erich watched him go, wondering if she should contact Ms. Granger and warn her.  He hadn’t thought of it until he realized who Charlie was, but maybe this would be a good thing.  He had heard from Dr. Schiesser that Hermione had no interest in reaching anyone from her former life, and he had also seen the articles in the Daily Prophet that speculated on her whereabouts.  Perhaps Charlie could take the news to those who were concerned that she was alive and well and then leave her alone again. 

………

                “How long will Landon be gone?” asked Hermione as she worked next to Dr. Schiesser.  They were mixing potions for the dragon preserve- their monthly supply. 

                “I don’t know,” said Dr. Schiesser.  “His father is very ill.”  He stopped and looked at Hermione.  “Are you sure you’ll be all right here by yourself next week?  I don’t have to go.” 

                “You haven’t taken a decent holiday in years,” Hermione said.  “Mrs. Duerst will be helping me, and it’s been pretty quiet anyway.  I’ll be fine.”

                Dr. Schiesser sighed.  “I worry about you, Hermione.”  He took her hand for a moment.  “You’ve been here almost a year now, and keep to yourself most of the time.  A beautiful young girl like yourself should be finding someone to love and starting your life, not settling here and sitting by yourself.”

                Hermione smiled.  “I’m happy where I am,” she said.  She squeezed his hand in thanks.  “I just don’t want to get hurt again.”  She appreciated his concern, and even though she had accepted that she and Ron would never have a future together, and that was a good thing, but it hadn’t stopped the pain of his betrayal from profoundly affecting her.  It had destroyed her self-confidence and made her hesitant to get close to anyone again. 

                “What about that young man who asked you out?” asked Dr. Schiesser. “I think he would be good for you.”

                “Perhaps,” said Hermione absently.  She released his hand and went back to mixing potions.  “I’m just not ready, and that wouldn’t be fair to him.”  The young man, Niklaus was very nice, and handsome, but he just wasn’t what she wanted.  “I know you’re concerned, but I’m fine.  And you’re going on your trip- everything will be great.”

………

                “Hello?” Charlie called out as he entered the small office.  “Anyone here?  I’m here to pick up some potions for the preserve.”

                “Just a moment,” he heard coming from the other room.  “I’m sorry, Mrs. Duerst had to stay home today, so I’m by…myself,” she almost dropped the potion box when she looked up and saw who was standing before her. “Charlie?”

                “Hermione,” Charlie was stunned.  “Thank Merlin you’re all right- everyone has been worried sick.  What are you doing here?  How long have you been here?”  Hermione backed away nervously from the onslaught of questions, unsure how much she wanted to answer.  “George and I came to see you the day after… well, we came to see you, and found your apartment deserted.”

                “I…” she struggled with what to say.  “Charlie…”  She turned pale and rushed out of the room.

                “Wait, Hermione!” Charlie called, chasing after her.  He caught up with her and took her by the arm.  “It’s all right, please don’t be this way- I’m not going to drag you back.  I just want to talk to you.”

                “There’s nothing to say,” she said.  “Ron cheated on me and broke our engagement.  The press crucified me for it.  I needed to get away.  That’s all anyone needs to know- they don’t need to know where I am or what I’m doing.  Not that anyone cared.”

                “No one cared?  Dad’s gone mental worrying about you,” said Charlie.  “Mum too.  They still mention you in almost every letter I get.  Please- can we talk?”  Hermione looked up as the bell on the door jingled- her next appointment was here.

                “Hello, Mrs. Klaesi- just take Reggie right into the exam room,” she called out.  “I’ll be right in.”  She heard an acknowledgment and quickly cast a muffliato charm, turning back to Charlie.  “There’s nothing to talk about- just forget you saw me.”  She pulled her wand, prepared to cast an obliviate on Charlie to make him forget, but he cast a protego charm on himself before she could. 

                “Hermione, I’m going to be around for a while,” he said, stowing his wand in his pocket.  “You can obliviate me if you feel the need, but I’m going to keep running into you.  I’m the new senior handler at the preserve until their regular one returns.”  He took her by the shoulders and turned her to face him.  “I swear I won’t say anything to anyone. Just…have dinner with me.”

                “What?” asked Hermione. 

                “Have dinner with me,” said Charlie.  “Tell me what’s going on, and how you got here.  I’m off tonight- I haven’t seen you since your engagement party two years ago.  I just want to make sure you’re all right.”

                Hermione glanced at the other room, knowing she had to get to work.  “Fine,” she said.  “The office is open until five.” 

                “I’ll be here at six then,” said Charlie.  He pulled Hermione into a hug.  “We really have been worried about you,” he said.  She closed her eyes, feeling his warmth envelop her.  Charlie was shorter than Ron and much stronger- years of dragon wrangling was thanks for that.  He pulled away and smiled at her before grabbing the potion box and leaving.

                Hermione went through her appointments that day in a daze.  She had never expected to see anyone again given the randomness of her location- and she didn’t want to leave this place either.  She had grown to love living where she did, and she desperately hoped that Charlie was sincere when he promised not to tell anyone where she was.  She had always been fond of Charlie- not that she had gotten to talk to him much- he was usually commandeered by Hagrid at any gathering they were at.  She remembered the times they had talked- he was intelligent but quiet- and he had a wicked sense of humor.  After closing the office, she went up to her little flat to get ready, dressing with care and smoothing her hair a little, and hoping that she was doing the right thing.

………

                Charlie went through the rest of his day in a haze as well.  He returned with the potions and handed them off to Erich, who noticed he seemed distracted.  “Everything all right?” he asked Charlie.

                “You know who I am…” said Charlie.  “And you know who works at the vet clinic.  Why didn’t you say anything?”

                Erich sighed.  “I don’t know,” he said.  He sat down and indicated to Charlie to do the same.  “I thought about sending her an owl to warn her but decided against it.  She can’t hide here forever.”  Charlie looked at him, confused.  “We all knew who she was when she started here- she didn’t hide anything, and we- the whole town feels very protective of her.  She was so broken when she arrived here- rarely speaking to anyone, staying in her flat all the time.  It’s taken ages for her even to start trusting people.”

                “Trusting people?” said Charlie.  “I don’t understand.”

                “You know what happened- she was engaged to your brother- you have to know,” said Erich.  Charlie nodded.  “The press was awful to her- what a nice repayment for everything she did for the magical world don’t you think?  She has PTSD, refuses to wear anything that shows her bare arms, even in the hottest weather, and she’s been alone this whole time.”  Charlie considered what Erich was saying.  He hadn’t been home much after the war- the funerals, holidays and other celebrations- but he didn’t go home often.  Every time he did, his mum nagged at him to get married and forced a haircut on him.  Hermione had always seemed fine, but he remembered seeing her at Fred’s funeral- letting Ron lean on her, but having no one to lean on herself.  She had been there when Fred died too, but everyone had assumed she would stay strong like she always seemed to. He looked up as Erich continued speaking.  “So, what are your intentions?” Erich asked, looking a little tense.

                “I’m meeting her for dinner tonight,” said Charlie.  “I promised her I would tell no one where she was, and I intend to keep my word.  I just want some answers, and I’ll get her permission before saying anything to anyone.  I swear it.”


	4. A Dinner Date

                Charlie arrived back at the clinic promptly at six to find Hermione sitting on the front stoop waiting for him.  She stood as he approached, but didn’t smile.  She looked nervous, which worried Charlie a little as he greeted her.  “I’ve not been here long,” he said.  “So I don’t know if there are any restaurants around here…”

                “There’s an inn that has a nice little restaurant in town,” said Hermione.  “I ate there when I first came to town.  We could go there.” Charlie nodded, and they started walking. They didn’t say much as they walked, both unsure where to begin.  When they were seated at a table, Charlie studied Hermione as she looked over the menu.  She was lovely- a little thin, but she had grown into a beautiful woman.  He shook his head as he looked at her- his brother was a fool.

                “You look good,” he finally said.  “This climate suits you.”

                “Thank you,” Hermione said, blushing.  She looked at him a little closer for the first time.  He was handsome- his red hair hanging in a ponytail down his back and he had brilliant blue eyes that crinkled at the corners when he smiled. “You look good too- I don’t see any new scars or anything.” 

                Charlie laughed.  “I’ve managed to stay injury free for the last few years. Mum used to have such fits when I came home with injuries.  One time, she threatened to lock me in my room to keep me from returning.  Dad had to restrain her from locking herself onto my arm when I was trying to leave.”  Hermione smiled, easily able to picture the scenario.

                After they had ordered their food and a bottle of wine, Charlie looked at her again.  “Hermione, will you talk to me now?”

                She looked down at the table.  “I left the day of…well, I left that day.  I just got on a train and left- no plan, no destination.  I just couldn’t be there anymore- reporters harassed me every time I left my flat- and it got worse the closer their wedding day got.  Wanting to know how I felt, wanting to know my plans- it was too much.  Once I was on the train, I decided to come to Switzerland- I’d never been and always wanted to go.  I ended up in Bern and saw the job notice for this place and decided to give it a try.  I’ve been here ever since.”

                “Why didn’t you leave a note?” asked Charlie.

                “Why should I have?” asked Hermione.  “No one had been to see me the weeks I needed them the most- my best friend didn’t even come by anymore.  Your mum and Ginny had taken Ron’s side, which hurt me more than Ron did- I guess I just…broke.”

                “George and I came by to see you the day after the wedding,” said Charlie.  “I asked after you when I got into town, but we were kept so busy with preparations, and George was keeping an eye on Angelina- we couldn’t get away until then.  I’m so sorry no one came to see you.  But you’re wrong about Mum.  She was so angry at Ronald she barely spoke to him, but she was afraid they would keep the baby from her, so she had to make nice.”

                Hermione nodded. “I can understand that,” she said.  “You asked about me?”

                Charlie reached across the table and took her hand.  “You were a part of our family since Ron was a first year.  I wasn’t around much because of my work, but even I could see you belonged.  You took care of my stupid brother, even after he abandoned you during the war.  I couldn’t believe that no one had gone to see you- I even had words with Harry about it.  I mean, he was supposed to be your friend, and he dropped you faster than anything.”

                “Well, I suppose it was easier to drop me than face Ginny’s wrath,” Hermione said.  “She is his wife, after all.  I can’t expect him to take my side over hers, and Ron is his best friend and brother-in-law.”

                “I know,” said Charlie.  “George told me Harry feels terrible about it- and it’s affected their marriage a little.  I saw them a few weeks ago- Harry doesn’t look at Gin the way he used to.  They’re still together- they already had James before you left- they have Albus now too.”

                “What about George and Angelina?” Hermione asked.  She had given up reading the Daily Prophet, except the issues that Dr. Schiesser showed to her. 

                “They have a little boy too, Fred.  The name wasn’t a surprise,” said Charlie, winking.  “Bill and Fleur have a daughter, Victoire.”  Hermione smiled.

                “Your mum must love being covered in grandchildren- that’s five she has now?” she asked.  She saw the look on Charlie’s face and frowned.  “What? What did I say?”

                “I wasn’t going to say anything unless you asked- I know…Ron is a sensitive subject…” he hesitated.  “Well…the baby wasn’t his.”

                “Wasn’t his?” asked Hermione, confused.  “I don’t think I’m following.”

                “Well,” said Charlie. “it was pretty obvious when the child was born… he was…well, let’s just say that the coloring was off.”  He watched Hermione as she thought about what he was saying- nodding as she caught on.  “Turns out Dean Thomas was the father.”

                “Oh,” said Hermione, before really catching on.  “Ohhhh,” she said again when she realized what he was saying.

                “Yeah,” said Charlie.  “I felt a little bad for Ron when I heard- turns out Lavender had trouble keeping her knickers on.  Has for years. She’d been seeing Dean on the side, and a few others as well. Well…she and Ron are divorced- not long after the child was born.  It was a terrible marriage anyway- constant arguing.”

                “I guess I’m sorry to hear it,” said Hermione, shrugging.  She felt Charlie’s eyes on her.  “Look, Charlie- I’ll be honest.  I don’t know if Ron and I would have worked out anyway.  He was awful when I went back to Hogwarts, and you should have heard him when I got offered a position with Kingsley Shacklebolt as his assistant.   It was excellent pay, traveling, high profile.  I could have done something to make a difference, and I turned it down to keep him happy.  I stayed in that small department that I started out in, and I’d probably still be there and miserable if we had married.  Or I’d be sitting at home with children.  That’s not me.”

                “You don’t want children?” asked Charlie. 

                “It’s not that,” said Hermione.  “I wanted a career first.  Staying at home was ok for your mum- it’s what she wanted and what made her happy, and I love her for it.  But it wouldn’t be for me, and I think Ron would have expected it eventually.”  She looked up as their food arrived.  Charlie busied himself with pouring them some wine before they started to eat.

                They talked more while they ate, Hermione telling him about her work and times in Switzerland and Charlie told her about his work and time in Romania.   When they had finished their dinner and the bottle of wine, Charlie paid the bill and escorted her out.  They walked along quietly, not saying much.  “How’s Percy?” she finally asked.  He was the only brother that hadn’t been mentioned.

                “He’s good,” said Charlie.  “He got that position with Kingsley you turned down, and he’s engaged. Her name is Audrey- she seems nice.”  Hermione nodded.  Though it was a chilly night, she felt warm- probably due to the wine they had consumed at dinner.  “I asked Erich about you,” he finally said.  “He knew who I was when I arrived- I asked him why he didn’t tell me about you.”

                “What did he say?” she asked. 

                “That you needed to stop hiding,” Charlie replied.  “That you’ve been alone since you got here and that you have PTSD.  Is that all true?”  Hermione looked away and shivered.  She felt Charlie pull her to face him, running his hands up and down her arms to warm her.  “Is it true?” he asked again. 

                “Does it matter?” she asked.  “Yes, I’m alone.  I don’t see that changing anytime soon.  Yes, I have nightmares and still jump a mile at loud sounds.  Dr. Schiesser had to put a smaller bell on the door of the office when I fell into a panic attack the first time I heard it.  I get by.  No one cared before- why should they care now?”

                “People do care,” said Charlie.  “I came to see you because the day before the wedding, I caught my dad looking through a photo album and he had tears in his eyes.  Bill still asks if anyone has heard from you.  Harry says your old classmates ask where you are all the time.  Didn’t you see that article in the Prophet?”

                “I skimmed it,” she said.  “I stopped reading that rag after the way they treated me- that and Witch Weekly.  I don’t want to go back.  I’m happy here.”

                “I know,” said Charlie.  He took her by the shoulders.  “I told you I wouldn't tell anyone where you are, but can I at least tell them I saw you and that you are all right?”

                “I…I suppose,” she finally said.  “I don’t want to see anyone though- I’m not ready.”

                “I understand,” said Charlie.  He looked up to see that they were in front of her flat.  “I’ll leave you here tonight.  Can I see you again?”  Hermione nodded, and Charlie pulled her into another hug, kissing her on the cheek before leaving her.  She walked up to her flat, her fingers on the place where his lips had touched.  She hadn’t been kissed by anyone since that last night with Ron, and aside from Mrs. Duerst, she had been hugged more by him in one day than she had by anyone in a long time.  It felt…nice. 

………

                Charlie arrived back at the preserve and went to the fireplace, intending on contacting George immediately.  He called out as he stuck his head in the fire, trying to keep it quiet in case little Fred was asleep.  “Charlie?” asked George, sitting up from his chair where he had been reading the paper.  “You ok?”

                “Everything’s fine,” said Charlie.  “I have some news.”

                “Where are you?” asked George. “Are you in Romania?”

                “No,” said Charlie.  “I can’t tell you where I am- it has to do with the news.  I made a promise- George, I found Hermione.” 

                George, who had been taking a sip of his tea, spit it out and sputtered, “What?  Hermione?  Where?”

                “I can’t tell you that,” said Charlie.  “I promised her I would keep her location secret.”

                “Well, is she all right at least?” asked George.

                “Not really,” said Charlie.  “Physically yes, she’s fine and healthy.  Mentally, well…she’s been better.  I can tell you that she’s been living in the same place for about a year and is holding down a decent job and she likes where she is.”

                “When is she coming home?” asked George. 

                “She’s not,” said Charlie.  “She’s not ready.  Don’t worry, I’ll be staying here for a while, and I’ll be spending time with her.  Just can you tell Mum and Dad and Bill that she’s all right?”

                “Sure,” said George.  “Blimey, it’s a relief to hear some news finally.  Did you tell her about Ron?”

                “Yes, she knows- well, not all of it,” said Charlie.  “I told her about the baby and the divorce.  Not that he’s been talking about finding her and getting back with her.  From what she said tonight, it wouldn’t happen anyway.”

                “That’s good- she deserves better than that git,” said George.  “I’ll let them know.  Just tell her I say hello, and that we’re thinking about her.  Maybe ask if she’ll floo sometime, just to say hi.  No pressure.” Charlie nodded and said goodbye, pulling his head out of the fireplace and sitting for a while, thinking about the events of the evening.


	5. Another Surprise Visitor

                Over the next few weeks, Charlie spent most of his free time with Hermione, just walking and talking about their day.  Charlie was careful not to pry into her personal feelings unless she said something first and just tried to be a good friend to her, which turned out to be very easy.  He liked spending time with her- she was intelligent and caring, and very easy to talk to.  She was easily the best companionship he had been with in a long time, and he had to admit that he was beginning to feel something for her that he had not experienced since his last break-a little over a year ago.  He had talked about it with her- his previous relationship ended badly.  They had met in Romania when she worked at the dragon preserve there- he thought they would get married at one point, but she ended it because she wanted to move back to Paris and he didn’t.  “Can you imagine me living in Paris, Hermione?” he asked her.  “She wanted to live in the city, and I was supposed to get a regular job.  When I said no, she got angry and walked out.”

                “You, living in Paris?” asked Hermione.  “No- I can’t see that.  Visiting maybe?” she asked him. 

                “Well, yeah,” said Charlie.  “I’d love to go see Paris- but I can’t live there.  I love the outdoors, and the dragons.  Anyway, next thing I know, she packed up her things and took off- not even a goodbye.”

                “I’m sorry,” said Hermione.  “I suppose I should be the last to talk, seeing that I didn’t say goodbye either, but that was wrong.”  Charlie nodded.  They sat quietly for a little while before they were interrupted by a Patronus appearing before them.

                “Charlie, can you get back to the keep right away?  We’re having trouble with that new dragon.”  Charlie gave an affirmative and stood up.

                “Want to come with me?” he asked her.

                “Sure,” she said.  “New dragon?” Charlie nodded and took her hand, both of them apparating to the keep.

                “He’s an old guy- showed up last week,” said Charlie as they walked along.  “He’s been through hell- and can’t take care of himself anymore.  He’s taken a liking to me for some reason- he must be acting up.”  He hurried as he heard a loud roar.

                When they arrived at where the dragon was being kept, Hermione stopped short and turned pale.  She had seen plenty of dragons since she moved here, but she knew this one immediately.  She watched as Charlie approached the old dragon warily, patting him to calm him down.  While Charlie was distracting him, the other keepers approached and injected the ancient dragon with a sedative, knocking him out for a while.  When he was done, Charlie turned to see Hermione staring at the dragon, her face pale as death and she was trembling violently.  “You ok?” he asked cautiously. 

                “That…that’s the dragon from Gringotts,” she said.  “Did you know that?”

                Charlie turned around and studied the beast again.  It made sense- all the old scars and injuries, the blindness, the inability to care for himself.  He turned back to Hermione and was startled to see the tears that had fallen.  “Hermione, come on,” he said, leading her to his tent.  They walked in, and Charlie led her over to his bed and had her lie down, crawling into bed next to her and putting his arms around her, holding her as she cried.  “Shhh…it’s all right,” he whispered to her.  Seeing the dragon had brought everything back- the long travels, the terrible strain they had been under.  She couldn’t seem to stop crying, thinking about all they had lost, all the terrible times. 

                “I have to go,” she said, struggling to get up.  “I want to be alone.”

                “No,” said Charlie.  “No more being alone.  Stay here.  Please.”

                “I can’t.”

                “Why not?” asked Charlie.  “You don’t need to be alone.”  Hermione pushed herself away from Charlie and got up, Charlie rushing behind her to stop her from leaving.  “Hermione, please don’t leave like this.  I want to help you.”

                “There’s no help!” she shouted.  “There is no help for me.  I’m no good for anyone.”

                “No,” said Charlie.  “That’s not true.”

                “Yes, it is,” said Hermione, her voice breaking again.  “If I had been a split second faster, Fred would still be here.  If I had been smarter about the Horcruxes, we would have found them faster and finished Voldemort before he got to Hogwarts.  We wouldn’t have lost Remus and Tonks, and all the others.  All the times I sat crying for Ron after he left us, I could have been studying, or searching, but I was weak and let my emotions get the better of me.  I was supposed to be the smart one, and I failed.”  She broke down, collapsing to the floor, Charlie following her and catching her.  He pulled her into his lap and let her cry for a while, rubbing her back as she finally let it all out.

                When the sobbing had subsided, Charlie picked Hermione up and carried her over to the couch, sitting with her in his lap.  “Now that you’ve had your say, will you listen?”  He felt her hesitate and then nod.  “You can’t take the blame for anything.  I know you want to.  I do too.  I keep thinking that maybe if I had come home when the trouble started brewing, that maybe I could have helped more.  But I listened to Mum who begged me to stay where I was.  Do you blame me for anything that happened?” Hermione shook her head. “Then you can’t blame yourself either.  Love, you did something amazing.  You held the three of you together through incredible odds.  You managed to keep yourselves secret for a long time; you broke into the Ministry, and into Gringotts.  You saved more lives than were lost- you and Ron and Harry.  You managed to find something noble in my git of a brother and turned him into a hero- do you think he could have done that on his own?”   She didn’t say anything.  “You helped give Harry the strength he needed to defeat Voldemort.  Wars have casualties- that is inevitable.  I remember Mum and Dad talking about the people who were lost during Voldemort’s first reign of terror- Harry’s parents, Neville’s parents- among many others.  Because of the three of you, there were a lot fewer deaths than there could have been.” He turned her face to look at him.  “Now this is what is going to happen.  You are going to sleep here where I can keep an eye on you.  I’ll talk to Dr. Schiesser and explain.  Tomorrow, you are going to face that dragon again, and with it whatever insecurities you still have after tonight.  Then tomorrow night, we are going to floo George so he can see you.  He’s been driving me batty asking to see you.”  He kissed her on the forehead, and then lightly on the lips.  “And then I’m going to ask you out on a proper date where I will offer to take you somewhere nice.  I hope you’ll say yes, but I’ll understand if you are not ready.”  He looked at her hopefully and smiled when she nodded.  “All right then,” he said.  “Come on; I’ll find you something to wear.” 

                After finding her a shirt and shorts, he left her to change and called Dr. Schiesser through the floo.  Keeping his voice down, he explained the situation and that he was keeping her with him at the preserve for a day or two to keep an eye on her.  “It’s something she needed, young man.  Tell her to take her time; I can hold down the fort here.” Charlie nodded and left the fireplace.

………

                Hermione awoke the next morning, slightly confused as to where she was, and even more confused about the heavy arm she felt wrapped around her.  As she slowly came around, she realized she was in Charlie’s bed and that it was his arm around her.  She felt him stir against her, squeezing her against him.  “How are you feeling?” he asked.  She turned to face him.

                “Better,” she said, feeling surprised that she felt that way.  “I haven’t slept through the night in a long time.”  If she wasn’t plagued by nightmares that would awaken her, then it was the long thoughts she had that would keep her from sleeping- a full nights sleep was sporadic and usually involve a potion of some kind.

                “You needed it,” said Charlie.  “I think you wore yourself out.  Do you remember?”  Hermione nodded, not trusting herself to speak again.  “Do you remember what I said we were going to do today?”  Another nod.  “Good.  The shower is through there unless you’d like to apparate back to your place.  I’ll have breakfast ready.”

                Hermione apparated back to her flat and freshened up, quickly running a cleaning charm over the clothes she had borrowed from Charlie.  She thought about him while she was in the shower and the things he had said the night before- not only about not blaming herself but about asking her out for a proper date.  She had to admit that she was genuinely attracted to him- seeing him without his shirt this morning had stopped her cold.  The muscles and tattoos were extremely attractive- he was very fit for being so stocky.  The polar opposite of Ron- and much more appealing.  Hermione had never cared much for the outdoorsy “man’s man” type, but she could see that changing easily with Charlie in the picture.  She stood under the spray of hot water thinking about him.  At one time, it was easy for her to swear off relationships, but he made it hard to stay in that line of thinking, that was for sure.  Even though she was scared, she decided that when he did ask her on that date, that she would say yes.

                She arrived back at Charlie’s tent and let herself in to find him cooking eggs and bacon at his stove.  After placing his clothes back on his bed, she took a few minutes to look around the tent properly.  It was very similar to the one that she, Harry and Ron had used on their travels- something she had learned to appreciate very much compared to the Muggle tents she used with her parents.  She sat at the table, and she and Charlie chatted while he cooked.  He had showered and changed as well, his red hair back hanging loose instead of in its usual ponytail.  When they sat down to eat, Charlie sat quietly for a little while.  “Hermione,” he started.  “I was thinking; maybe you should see someone to help you work through your feelings.  Have you ever considered it?”

                Hermione looked down, trying to think of what to say.  “I hadn’t thought of it,” she confessed.  “I was always too embarrassed to say anything.  I’m not even sure where to start.”

                “I know someone,” said Charlie.  “I saw him for a little while right after the war, when I was working through my guilt over Fred and for being far away for most of the war.  I know he’d be willing to talk to you via floo since he’s in England.”  He took her hand.  “I don’t think any less of you, Hermione, but I hate to hear you talk about yourself like you did last night.  You don’t deserve that- no one blames you as you blame yourself.”

                “Ron did,” she said quietly. 

                “What?” asked Charlie sharply, hoping he heard her wrong.

                “We argued one night,” said Hermione, twisting her napkin in her hands as she spoke.  “It was when he wanted me to turn down the job with Kingsley.  He said that it was my fault that Fred died- I didn’t save him.  I never told anyone he said that.”

                “Please tell me he apologized,” said Charlie, feeling angrier by the second. 

                “I wish I could,” said Hermione.  “I never realized until now that he used my guilt to keep me from taking a job that paid more than his did.  That was when I started to shut myself away.”

                “Come here,” said Charlie, pulling on her hand.  Hermione got up and walked over to him, allowing Charlie to pull her onto his lap.  “Perce told me what happened.  There was no way you or anyone could have saved him.  Believe me, Perce felt guilty too- and he spent some time in therapy because of it.  I can’t believe the person who was supposed to love you most in the world would say that to you and make you feel that way.”  His arms came around to hold her close, and she rested her head on his shoulder.  “Will you talk to someone?”  Hermione didn’t respond, so he pulled her away to look at her.  “There’s no shame in it.  Hermione, I care about you.  I think that maybe we could have something really good if we wanted it.  But with this hanging over your head, I don’t think you’ll ever allow yourself to be free.  Will you please talk to someone?  Someone who can help you better than I can?”  He was looking at her so earnestly; she couldn’t help but agree.  Charlie pressed his forehead to hers.  “I’ll set it up for whenever you’re ready.”  Hermione nodded again, reluctant to let Charlie go.  “All right then.  I should get some work done and check on the big guy.  Give me a few hours, and I’ll be back, ok?”

                “OK,” said Hermione.  “I’ll stay here until you’re ready.”

………

                Charlie came back into the tent to find Hermione curled up in a chair reading a book.  He smiled as he watched her- she was so engrossed she didn’t even notice him coming in.  “Hey,” he said quietly.  “I think we’re ready if you are.” Hermione put the book down and stood up.  “We can go check out the big guy, and then I’ve got a picnic lunch and just the spot to go to.  What do you say?”

                “I say let’s go.  Before I lose my nerve,” said Hermione.  They walked out of the tent and down to the rest of the keep.  The old dragon was laying in his usual spot, smelling the air on the lookout for Charlie.  When he caught Charlie’s scent, he picked his head up and emitted a low cry.  Hermione jumped back, her mind going back to the breakout from Gringotts, but she felt Charlie’s hand on her back and kept going. 

                “Hey, big guy,” said Charlie, patting the dragon’s side.  “Someone is here to see you.”  He guided Hermione forward, and the dragon turned his head to her, inhaling her scent.  He emitted another low cry and held his head down.  Charlie watched, fascinated as the old dragon allowed Hermione to touch him- it has taken a few days for Charlie to even get near him.  “I think he recognizes you,” he told her, amazed.  The old dragon rumbled as Hermione stroked his head, tears in her eyes, and he eventually fell asleep under her hand.  Charlie gently pulled her away as the dragon slept and pulled her into his arms.

                “Thank you,” Hermione whispered.  “I needed that more than I thought I did.”  Charlie couldn’t say anything.  He led her away, stopping to pick up the picnic basket and blanket he had left earlier.  Taking her hand, he led her up to a hillside that had a view of the little magical town that had adopted Hermione as their own.  They ate quietly, just enjoying each other’s company until Hermione put her cup down.  “I think I’m ready to show you something.  The only other people who have seen it are Ron and well… the person that gave it to me.  And Madame Pomfrey.”  She slowly rolled up her sleeve and held out her arm for Charlie to see. Across her left forearm was one word.  “Mudblood.”  It had been carved into her arm by Bellatrix Lestrange using a cursed dagger.  While the wound no longer bled, it was still an obvious red- something that could never change according to Madame Pomfrey.  Charlie took her arm in his hand and gently ran his fingers over the angry letters.  He didn’t let go while she told him about what happened to her at the Malfoy Manor, how she had been carved up and crucio’d almost to insanity.  “If Dobby hadn’t rescued us, I don’t think I’d be here right now,” she finally said.

                Charlie gently kissed her arm, and the scar on her neck from Bellatrix’s blade and held Hermione close.  He wished he could take all her pain away, and he wondered if he could find a way to cover the letters on her arm.  Nothing would take away the memories, but maybe it could be lessened somehow.  They sat quietly until almost dusk, Charlie’s arms wrapped around her, and they watched the little town as the lights started going on.  Even though he didn’t want to break the spell, Charlie knew they had to head inside soon.  “Feel like talking to George?” he whispered to her.

                “I think I’m ready,” she said.  They stood up and cleaned up their picnic supplies before walking hand in hand back to the preserve.  They sat before the fireplace and Charlie looked in to see George and Arthur waiting, Arthur’s knee bobbing up and down nervously. 

                “George?  Dad?”  The two men turned to see Charlie’s head in the fire. 

                 “Charlie,” said Arthur.  “It’s good to see you.  George told me what’s going on- I hope you don’t mind my being here.  I didn’t tell Molly I was coming here- I thought it might be too much.”

                  “Thanks, Dad, you’re probably right,” said Charlie.  “She’s here. Just…go easy on her.”

                  George and Arthur both stood up as Hermione’s head appeared in the fire.  Arthur reached out as if he wanted to try to touch her.  “Hermione,” he said.  “Thank Merlin you’re all right.  We’ve missed you.”

                  “I’m sorry I worried you,” Hermione said.  “I just needed some time.”

                  “We know,” said George.  “We should have been there for you…after…” he trailed off, not knowing what to say.  “I’m sorry.”

                  “Don’t be,” Hermione said.  “I know you had your hands full.  How’s the baby?”

                  “Not a baby anymore- at least, that’s what he says,” said George, grinning.  “Fred’s a handful- I don’t know how Mum ever handled seven of us.”

                  “It wasn’t easy,” said Arthur.  “It’s much more fun now that we can send them home with their parents.”  They all laughed.

                  “Are you feeling better, Hermione?” asked Arthur.  “Do you think you’ll come home?”

                  “I’m better,” she said.  “I still have things to sort out.  But I’m feeling more willing to come for a visit at some point.  I don’t know if I’ll ever live in London again though.”

                  “I understand,” said Arthur.  “I’m just glad you agreed to speak to us.  I do have some news.  Rita Skeeter is in Azkaban.”

                  “What?” asked Hermione. “What happened?”

                  “Well, it seems she was using her unregistered animagus status to try to find out information on your whereabouts.”  Hermione frowned.  “Harry’s had his secretary looking for you since you left.  They never found out where you were, but Harry found out that Rita was getting close and was going to publish the information in the Witch Weekly.  He managed to stop it and had her chucked in Azkaban for the animagus part.  She also has a lifetime ban from reporting.”

                   “Harry did that?” Hermione said.  “Why?”

                   “Hermione,” said George. “Harry’s been trying to find you since you left.  He feels terrible about what happened, and he misses you. Can I tell him we spoke?”

                   “Not yet,” said Hermione.  “Maybe next time.  I should go.”

                   “Take care of yourself, dear,” said Arthur.  “And make sure that Charlie behaves.”

                    As they pulled away from the fire, Hermione started to get up, but Charlie stopped her.  “Not so fast,” he said.  “There was one more thing I said I was going to do.  Hermione, I admire you and care about you.  Would you go on a proper date with me?”

                    Hermione looked at Charlie, melting at the hopeful look on his face.  “I’d love to.”


	6. A Date...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> OK- so I didn't realize how rapidly I moved this story along- I tend to be pretty long-winded- so I surprised myself on this one. I thought about trying to lengthen this a little, but I just like it the way it is and can't see a way of lengthening it without being boring.

                Hermione returned to her job the next day, telling a relieved Dr. Schiesser that she felt much better and thanking him for letting her take the time she needed.  She made it through her day, and when the office was closed, she hurried upstairs to get ready for her date with Charlie.  He had told her to dress up, so she put on her nicest dress, hoping it was enough.  She was putting the finishing touches on her makeup when there was a knock at her door.  She opened it to find a grinning Charlie holding a bouquet of roses, and smiling back, invited him in. 

                “Thank you so much, they’re lovely,” she said as she smelled the roses.  She took a few moments to arrange them in a vase before Charlie took her hands in his.

                “Are you ready?” he asked her. 

                “Where are we going?”

                “It’s a surprise,” he said.  “I’ll apparate us.”  He squeezed her hand, and a moment later, she found herself standing in a small road.

                “Paris!” she exclaimed, seeing the Eiffel Tower. 

                “I told you I wouldn’t mind visiting,” said Charlie, taking her arm in his.  He led her to a little restaurant with a view of the Eiffel Tower where they sat and dined and talked for a long time.  “Have you ever been?” he asked, indicating the Tower. 

                “Yes, when I was much younger.  It never gets boring though.”  He took her by the hand, and they headed over to the tower, riding to the top muggle-style.  As they looked out over Paris, Charlie’s arm went around her waist, and he found himself watching her as much as he looked at the landscape. 

                “I have something to tell you,” he said.  “I just found out today, and I wanted to talk to you about it before deciding.  Landon will not be returning to the Keep.  His father passed away, so he’s going to stay home and take care of his mum.  They’ve offered me a permanent position at the Keep.” 

                Hermione turned to him.  “What are you going to say?” she asked. 

                “I don’t know,” he said.  He put both arms around her waist, and her hands came up to hold them.  “I’d like to think we’re starting something here.  Something I think could be special.  But I don’t want to crowd you.”

                Hermione pressed her forehead against his.  “I think I’d like you to stay if that’s what you want.  I know that Romania is more exciting.”

                “I think I’ve had enough excitement for a while,” said Charlie.  “I find that I like the quieter life as long as there are still dragons in it.  It’s just- I’m seven years older than you.  That’s not too much, is it?”

                “No,” said Hermione.  “it doesn’t bother me.”

                “Then I’ll tell them yes,” he said.  “Come here.”  He pulled Hermione closer and brushed his lips against hers.  His lips found hers again, and stayed longer, deepening as she returned his kiss.  He pulled her into a hug, feeling so very lucky to have found her. 

………

                The next several months passed in a blur for both Hermione and Charlie.  Charlie had settled into his permanent role of Senior Handler at the Glarus Keep, and Hermione was on her own more often at the clinic while Dr. Schiesser took some well-deserved time off.  Soon, Christmas was coming upon them, and Hermione knew that Charlie would be expected to return to the Burrow for the holidays.  Their relationship had only grown stronger over the months, and thanks to her sessions with Charlie’s doctor, Hermione was beginning to overcome her guilt and come to terms with what had happened to her over the years. 

                A few days before Christmas, they were cuddled in Hermione’s flat listening to a Christmas Programme over the WWN.  Charlie had been pretty quiet all day, making Hermione wonder if something was wrong.  When the program was over, she shut off the radio and then sat down next to Charlie.  “OK, something’s on your mind.  Do you want to talk?”

                “I was just thinking about the holidays.  Mum will expect me home,” he started.  “I never told them about my move- Dad knows I’m not in Romania, but no one knows where I am.  All my post has been forwarded.  I’m going to have to tell them eventually.”

                “I know,” said Hermione.  “If you want to tell them, I’m fine with it.  I don’t think I need to hide anymore.”

                Charlie lit up.  “Really?”

                Hermione nodded.  “I’m in a much better place, thanks to you, and well, everything- my job, my therapy sessions.”

                Charlie took her hand.  “I’m so glad.”  He kissed her hand and leaned in to kiss her on the lips.  “Would you consider coming to the Burrow with me?”

                “I…I don’t know,” she said.  “Don’t you think things would be a little awkward?”

                “Not for us,” Charlie said.  Especially, well…I know we haven’t been together very long, but you’re the one for me, Hermione.  I love you.  Would you consider coming back to the Burrow, as my wife?”

                Hermione stopped and stared at him, hardly believing what he was saying.  “Your wife?” she asked.

                Charlie reached into his pocket and got down on one knee before her, holding out a small velvet box.  “I was planning on doing this on Christmas Eve, but Mum made it pretty clear she expects me there that evening.  We’ve both been through Hell and back, and I think it was fate that brought us together in such a remote place.  We belong together, I’m sure of it.  Will you marry me, Hermione?”

                Hermione looked at Charlie’s earnest face, his bright blue eyes hopeful and shining with love.  “Yes,” she said.  “I would love to marry you.”

                Charlie exhaled, realizing that he had been holding his breath waiting for her answer.  He opened the box and put the ring on her finger- a simple small diamond on a platinum band.  Hermione looked at the ring.  “It’s beautiful,” she said.  “Just right.” She leaned down to kiss him.  Charlie was a great kisser, and she found it hard to stop once she started.  They had taken things slowly since they got together, but tonight, she was ready to take things further.  “Charlie, I love you.”  She stood up and took his hand, leading him to her bedroom. 

………

                “There’s something more I should tell you,” Charlie said as they lay intertwined.  “I’ve known about it for a while, but I didn’t know how to tell you- how you would take it.  It’s about Ron.”

                “Tell me,” said Hermione. 

                “I told you about the baby and the divorce,” said Charlie.  “George told me that he’s been searching for you, hoping to get you back.”

                Hermione raised her head up and looked at him. “What?”

                “I don’t know if that’s changed or not; I haven’t asked.  But apparently, Ron was keen on getting you back.”  Hermione didn’t say anything.  “That’s not why I proposed. I did that because I love you and I want to share a life with you.  I just wanted you to know.  If you do come back with me, there could be some drama.”

                “Well, I don’t want him back.  Ever,” said Hermione. 

                “I figured,” said Charlie.  “I would like to bring you back as my wife.  You know that if we show up engaged, it’s only a matter of time before Mum is marching you down the aisle in some frilly concoction of a dress, and she’ll make me wear dress robes.  What do you say?  We could get married tomorrow night?”

                “I think I’d like that,” said Hermione.

                Charlie grinned.  “I’ll make the arrangements,” he said as he pulled her on top of him.  “Want another preview of the wedding night?”


	7. A Wedding

                After Hermione was asleep, Charlie apparated back to make a floo call to George. 

                “Georgie?” Charlie called from the fire.  “You there?”

                “Charlie?” Angelina looked up from the chair- she was holding a sleeping Fred in her arms. “Everything all right?”

                “Yes,” said Charlie.  “Is Freddie ok?”

                “Running a fever- he’ll be fine.  George is in bed- should I get him?”

                “Yes, please,” said Charlie.  “It’s a little urgent.”

                George came out to the room and sat down by the fireplace.  “Charlie, what’s up?” he asked, worried.

                “A few things,” said Charlie.  “I’m bringing Hermione home for Christmas.”

                “Brilliant!” said George. 

                “Is Ron still keen on getting back with her?”

                “He talks about it, but if actions speak louder than words, then I don’t see him being serious about it.  He’s been shagging every girl he comes across.  Some of the bimbos he’s brought around- it’s sickening. Why?”

                “Are you free tomorrow night?” asked Charlie.

                “I can be.  What are you on about Charlie?”  George looked at his big brother.

                “I need a witness.”  For once in his life, George was speechless.

………

                Hermione took advantage of the clinic being closed for the holidays to take care of some errands.  She wanted a new dress for her small wedding, and she wanted to get Charlie a wedding ring.  She got up early and apparated to Bern, finding the magical shopping district with ease.  She found the perfect dress right away- a simple long-sleeved dress that she would be able to wear again and some new shoes to go with it.    After that, she found a jeweler and described what she needed.  “He works with Dragons-so it has to be something practical that won’t interfere.”

                “I have just the thing, Madam,” said the jeweler.  He opened a cabinet and pulled out a ring and put it in her hand.  It held its shape, but it felt like a liquid.  “It will fit his finger securely, leaving no gap.  Nothing can damage it, and if his finger gets caught, it will either slide around the obstruction or snap like a rubber band.”

                “I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Hermione, still amazed at what magic could do.  “It’s perfect.”  She purchased the ring and left the shop.  She still had time, so she decided to take a little time for herself, getting her hair and nails done for the first time in a long time.  She smiled to herself as the stylist washed her hair.  This wedding had come up so fast- she had spent months planning her wedding to Ron and still felt like there hadn’t been enough time.  Now, she had gotten engaged and planned her wedding in a little less than a day, and it still felt more right than the first one ever could have. 

………

                Hermione was dressed and ready to go, and she apparated to the little town where the local Justice was waiting.  She approached the building to see a smiling Mrs. Duerst holding a bouquet of flowers.  “I’m so happy for you, my dear,” she said as Hermione came up the steps.  Dr. Schiesser was standing there as well.  “I hope you’ll allow me to escort you down the aisle?”  Hermione felt herself tearing up, and nodded, trying not to cry.  Dr. Schiesser took her arm in his, and they opened the doors.  Charlie was standing by the Justice, with George and Bill by his side.  A few of their friends from town and the Keep were sitting and waiting, happy that they were able to surprise Hermione by being there.

                She made her way down the aisle, and Dr. Schiesser put her hand in Charlie’s.  “Take care of her son.  She’s a rare one,” before shaking his hand.  And so, they were married.  Charlie felt the ring that she put on his finger, surprised at how it felt against his skin and she reveled in the coolness of the matching band he slipped on her finger, saying his vows with fervent emotion.  When they had exchanged rings, the justice bound a rope around their hands, which after tightening slightly, exploded into a cloud of golden light, signifying the bond between them.  It was to the cheers of the small crowd that Charlie took Hermione in his arms and kissed her as they were pronounced husband and wife. 

                After the ceremony, George and Bill both kissed Hermione on the cheek.  “We’ve got to get back- the wives don’t know we’re here.  We’d have brought them, but they’ll never be able to keep the surprise.  See you tomorrow at the Burrow,” said Bill, winking at his new Sister-In-Law.

George hugged Hermione again.  “You traded up.”


	8. Home Again

                “You ready?” asked Charlie. 

                Hermione bit her lip.  She hadn’t seen everyone in such a long time, and she was nervous.  “It’s now or never, I guess.”

                “I’ll go in first- just stay out here.  Bill and George are already inside.”  Hermione nodded.  She watched Charlie enter the house and heard the roar of greeting from everyone.  Mrs. Weasley hugged her son tightly and then held him out so she could examine him critically. 

                “You need a haircut, dear,” she said as she clucked over him.  “You need a woman in your life- isn’t it time you settled down? You’re so handsome; any woman would be lucky to have you.”

                Charlie grinned. “I couldn’t agree more, Mum.  I brought someone with me.   Can I bring her in?”

                “Charles Fabian Weasley,” Molly shook her head at him.  “You bring a lady friend with you and leave her outside.  You bring her in here this instant!  You’re lucky she doesn’t leave you for such inconsiderate behavior.”

                “Well, that’s just it, Mum, Dad.  She can’t leave me- because she’s my wife.”  There was a stunned silence as Charlie opened the door, followed by roars as Hermione walked in. 

                “Married?” Molly sat down, fanning herself, watching as everyone threw themselves at Hermione.  Arthur sat down as well, shocked at how things played out.  When Hermione had finished greeting everyone in the room, she approached Molly shyly. 

               Charlie looked around the room, not seeing Ron anywhere.   “Where is he?” he asked George. 

                  George shrugged.  “Not here yet.  Probably can’t decide which slag to bring home to meet Mum.”  Charlie shook his head.  “Harry and Ginny aren’t here yet either- wrangling two little ones-they’re always late,” he said with a wink.

                    Molly looked at Hermione closely, noticing the rings on her finger, and watched as Charlie came to stand by her side and take her hand. “What do you say, Mum?” he asked her.  She watched the two of them together, still trying to wrap her head around the situation, before throwing her arms around the pair of them.  “Oh, my boy,” she said.  “You brought our Hermione back to us and made her family.  What can I say?”  She held them both close.  “I’m so happy for the both of you.” 

                   When she finally let them go, Arthur swept them up into a big hug as well. “Congratulations to the two of you,” he said.  “I couldn’t be more thrilled.”

                  “Mum, I’m here,” She heard from behind her.  She turned to see Ron, who stopped in shock, seeing his ex-fiance in the same room for the first time in over two years.  Ron didn’t notice most of his family, except Charlie discreetly leave the room to find other things to do.  Apparently, he had made it no secret that he was going to try and win Hermione back when he found her, even if he was sowing his wild oats in the meantime.

                 “Hermione!” he said again, excited and flung his arms around her.  “I’ve been looking for you- been wanting to see you.”  Hermione tried to extricate herself from Ron’s grip, but he was holding her so tightly, she couldn’t get away.  “Are you here to stay?” 

                   “No, Ronald,” she said.  “I’m only here for the holiday, and then we’re going home.”

                   “Going home?” he asked, frowning as he pulled away.  “This is your home.  Look, Hermione, I’ve made some mistakes.  Lavender was a huge mistake obviously- the child wasn’t mine, and we’re divorced now.  I wish I had never cheated on you and it was wrong of me to do that.  I’m so sorry. Would you give us another go?” he added hopefully.

                   “Even if I wanted to give us another go,” said Hermione, “it’s just not possible.  I understand you are sorry, and in time, I may forgive you for hurting me so badly, but there was more wrong with us than there was right.”

                  “I would work on those things,” said Ron. “We’ve been through rough times before.”

                   Hermione gently pulled herself out of his grip and backed away from him, towards Charlie.  Ron looked around the room, finally noticing that everyone had left, but Charlie was still there, and his eyes furrowed in confusion. “Ron, I’m a married woman.  Charlie and I were married yesterday.”

                   Ron looked between them, uncomprehending for a moment.  “You’re married?” he asked.  “To each other?”

                   Charlie took her hand in his.  “Yes, Ron.  We’ve been living in the same town in Switzerland and starting seeing each other months ago.”

                   Hermione looked at her husband. “Can you give us a few minutes?  I’ll be fine.”  Charlie nodded and squeezed her hand, leaving the room.  She turned back to Ron.  “We’re still family Ron, and we can get past the awkwardness for the sake of your parents and siblings if you like.”

                    Ron sat down, defeated.  “How could you marry my brother?  How could you not even try to give me another chance?”

                   Hermione sighed and sat down at the table with him.  “There never would have been another chance, Ron.  We never worked together- I would have been miserable in the end.  You got angry at me for going back to Hogwarts, even though you had to go into Auror training at the same time. I chose to finish my education instead of sitting around and waiting for you, but you wanted it your way.  Then when the job offers came in, you didn’t want me taking anything that paid more, or that took me away from home, assuming that I would only be working until we had children.  You never took my wishes into account- you just wanted me to turn into your Mum and be happy about it.”

                     Ron didn’t say anything for a while.  “Mum was happy staying home,” he finally said.  “It would only have been until they were old enough to go to Hogwarts and would have left you plenty of time for a career.  What are you going to do when you and my brother have kids?”  He spat out the words “my brother” like they were poison.

                  “I’m not your Mum, Ronald,” said Hermione.  “And the rest is none of your concern anymore.  What matters is that you understand that we would never have worked.  It took me a long time to realize that- so we should be grateful we didn’t make that mistake.”

                 “You think we were a mistake?” The hurt in Ron’s eyes was unmistakable. 

                    “At one time, we weren’t,” said Hermione.  “We did some great things together.  But we would have ended up a disaster.”  Ron started to protest, but Hermione held up her hand.  “You may disagree, but if you have time to think about it, I think you’ll come to the same conclusion.” 

                   “So, I’m just supposed to be happy for you?” he demanded.  “I’m just supposed to watch the two of you be happy knowing what I’ve lost?”

                    “You can choose to accept that I’m happy and move on,” said Hermione.  “Our time ended a long time ago.”  Hermione was aching to scream at him, to finally tell him how he had almost destroyed her, but she knew that it would do neither of them any good.  Hermione got up and poured herself a glass of water, trying to keep her hands from shaking.  She never liked confrontation, but she knew that this was necessary. “I’d like to be friends still,” she finally said.  “When you’re ready.”

                      Ron sat at the table, not believing what he was hearing.  “Friends?” he barked.  He got up and stalked towards Hermione and grabbed her by the arm.  “All this time I was trying to find you, trying to get you back.  How much did we go through together?  Did that mean nothing to you?”

                    “Ron, you’re hurting me,” Hermione said.  “Let me go.”

                     “Yes, Ron.  Let her go.” Charlie came back into the room and separated the two of them.  Ron let go of Hermione and advanced on his brother.  Charlie stood his ground next to Hermione taking her hand in his.

                      “My own brother, stabbing me in the back,” spat Ron.  “You knew I wanted to get back with her.  You knew where she was.  I could have talked to her months ago.  Did you even tell her I was looking for her?”

                     “I did,” said Charlie. “After I asked her to marry me.  If she had shown any interest, I would have stepped aside.”  He took Ron by the arm.  “Come on, Ron.  If you want to be angry at me, then be angry at me.  But we’re still family.  It’s Christmas- you’ll break Mum’s heart if you keep this up.”

                     Ron shoved Charlie back.  “I have to get out of here,” he said as he headed out the door, glaring at the two of them angrily as he left. 

                     Charlie started to go after him but was stopped by Hermione.  “Give him time,” she said.  “Ron’s always acted first and thought later.  It’s all right.”  She hugged Charlie, closing her eyes as his arms went around her. 

                    “You’re all right?” he asked her, rubbing her arm. 

                    “I’m fine,” she said.  She heard Molly and Arthur coming back into the room, and saw them looking for Ron.  Hermione turned to look at Molly and Arthur.  “I’m sorry.  I didn’t want to cause any strife.”

                   “No need to apologize, dear,” said Molly.  “He made his bed a long time ago.  He just didn’t want to see it.”  They all looked up as the door banged open again.  Ginny entered holding James by the hand, Harry following carrying little Albus and a large diaper bag. 

                    “Sorry we’re late, Molly.  Albus had a blowout- it was bloody disgust…” Harry stopped short, seeing Hermione standing hand in hand with Charlie.  “Hermione,” he said.  He handed Albus off to Molly and dropped the bag before grabbing Hermione into a large bear hug.  “Thank Merlin.  I’ve been looking all over for you.”  Hermione felt the tears in her eyes as she held her friend close.  Harry let her go and took a closer look at her. “You look good,” he said.  “You need to tell me everything.”

                   “We can do that at dinner,” said Arthur.  “Everyone wants to hear the story.

                    Harry took Hermione’s hand into his.  “I’m so sorry,” he said quietly.  “I wasn’t a very good friend to you.”  He looked over at Ginny, who came up and hugged Hermione.

                   “I’m sorry, Hermione,” said Ginny, tears in her eyes.  “Everyone was ganging up on Ron, and I felt bad for him.  I shouldn’t make excuses, but I was really hormonal at the time.”  She looked anxiously at Hermione, hoping for her forgiveness.

                  “I understand, Ginny,” said Hermione.  “It’s all right.”

                 “You’re married,” said Harry, pointing at her finger.  “You’re married?  Where’s your husband?”  Charlie stepped up and put his arm around Hermione, grinning.  Harry looked at the two of them, confused while Ginny screamed and threw her arms around Charlie and Hermione.

                Harry still looked confused.  “Harry, Charlie and Hermione are married- to each other,” Ginny exclaimed.  “So she’s my sister after all!”  She wiped the tears from her eyes as she hugged the two of them again. 

                “Congratulations!” said Harry, hugging the happy couple in turn.  “Blimey, who’d have thought?”  He stopped, realizing.  “Ron- he…”

                “He’s already been here and gone,” said Charlie.  “He’s pretty upset at the moment.”

                Harry sighed.  “I tried to tell him to give it up.  I hope he didn’t cause too much of a scene.”

                “Well, we have a dinner to get on, and obviously an interesting story to hear,” said Molly.  “Why don’t you all get set up and I’ll get food on the table.”

                Hermione turned to Harry before everyone came in.  “I’m worried about him,” she said to him.  “He took things pretty hard.”

                “I’ll talk to him, get him to see reason,” said Harry. 

………

                Charlie and Hermione lay snuggled in bed in his old room at the Burrow after an eventful evening.  She lay sleepily against him thinking of how the evening went.  Everyone sat fascinated by their story, and then after dinner, Hermione and Charlie spent time getting to know their nieces and nephews while Molly listened to her annual Celestina Warbeck Christmas concert on the WWN.  “We could find a home of our own in the village,” said Charlie.  “Then people could come visit and have a place to stay.” 

                “I’d like that,” said Hermione.  She lay quietly against him for a while, enjoying feeling his hand running lightly up and down her back.  “I think I’d like to have a baby.”

                “Right now?” asked Charlie. 

                “I could wait a little while if you’re not ready,” she said.  “I just enjoyed being around all of the children today and would love to see one of our own tossed in the mix.  They could all go to Hogwarts together.”

                “I supposed we never talked much about children,” mused Charlie.  “I hadn’t thought of it just yet.  How many do you want?  Seven?” 

                Hermione shuddered.  “No offense to your mum, but that’s too many.  I was thinking two.  I was an only child, and it was a little lonely.”

                “I could go for that,” said Charlie.  “I’ve always liked kids, we both have good jobs that make us happy.  The Glarus preserve isn’t quite as dangerous and is less busy.  It’s not like we’ve been very careful already- who knows?  You could already be pregnant.”

                “Would that be all right?” she asked him.

                “I wouldn’t mind,” said Charlie.  “If it happens, it happens- I’ll be glad for it.  If we end up waiting a little while, that would be fine too.  I had given up on the idea of being married and having kids before this- I never thought it would happen to me.”

                “I didn’t think so either,” said Hermione.  “Amazing what a difference a year can make.”

                “So, we’re agreed?” asked Charlie.  He put his hand on her belly, imagining their baby inside.

                “Agreed.”

                Charlie grinned and after casting a silencing charm took Hermione in his arms. “No time like the present,” he said as he kissed her.

………

                Harry, Ginny and the children returned to their home to find Ron sitting and waiting for them.  He looked miserable.  Harry and Ginny exchanged a look, and Ginny took the baby carrier from Harry, heading inside to leave to two friends alone.  Harry sat down quietly next to Ron and waited for him to speak.

                “She’s married,” said Ron miserably.  “Charlie knew all this time where she was and never said anything.  I never got a chance to make it up to her.”

                “He didn’t know where she was the whole time, Ron,” said Harry.  She’d been living in Switzerland for over a year when they met by chance.  She works at the Magical Animal clinic in Glarus, and he ended up working at their Dragon Preserve for a little while. It was a complete coincidence.”  Harry looked at Ron.  “You don’t think Charlie went out of his way to deliberately steal her, do you?”  Ron shrugged.  “Do you really think she would have given you another chance?”

                “She has before,” said Ron.  “She’s always forgiven me in the past.  Why not this time?”

                “Ron,” said Harry quietly.  “You utterly destroyed her.  You cheated on her with your ex-girlfriend and got her pregnant.” Harry held up a hand as Ron started to protest.  “Yes, you didn’t know that Lavender was stepping out on you, and the baby wasn’t yours, but you dumped Hermione based on the thought that it was.  And it could have been if Lavender hadn’t cheated too.  And then when the media came sniffing around, you saw how badly they went after her, and you did nothing.  You should have.  You should have taken the blame and told the press that it was all you. But you got the front page with your new fiancé, wearing your ex-fiance's ring, and the same wedding date and Hermione was left in the cold by everyone.  Did you know she didn’t leave her house for two weeks, because every time she did, the press would hound her relentlessly?  She ended up drinking polyjuice potion and hopping on the first train out of town.”

                “I guess I didn’t realize how bad she had it,” said Ron.  “I was too caught up in Lavender and the baby.”

                “Why did you cheat on her?” asked Harry.  “I never asked you about it, and maybe I should have.”

                “Dunno,” said Ron.  “I guess I got caught up in being a celebrity- women were throwing themselves at me left and right.  I was finally getting all the attention, and then Hermione started getting job offers that were better than mine.  I didn’t want to go back to being her shadow. Then Lavender started coming around- and she said she would be happy keeping house and having babies while I worked as an Auror.”

                “What about now?” asked Harry.  “For someone who claims to be heartbroken over losing Hermione, you seem to be awfully busy with the ladies.”

                “You’re telling me you haven’t had any offers?” asked Ron.

                “Sure,” said Harry.  “But that’s all they are.  Offers.  Even when Gin and I were having trouble, I never dreamed of cheating.  I made a promise to Ginny when we got married- for better or worse.  Even before we were married, I turned them down.  I loved Ginny- I was proud of her accomplishments.  I still love her.  I was angry at her for turning on Hermione, and it took a long time for me to look at her the same way again, but we worked past it.”  Ron didn’t say anything.  “Look, Ron,” said Harry.  “You’re still my best mate- you always have been, and you always will be.  You hurt Hermione beyond the point of fixing your relationship.  Even though the baby wasn’t yours, and you’re single again, and even if Hermione were still single- there would never be any hope of getting back together.  The damage was done, and the trust was lost.”

                “But my own brother…” started Ron.

                “Charlie loves her,” said Harry.  “And you know he’ll treat her right.  I got to talk to her one on one for quite a while tonight after dinner- and honestly, I agree with her.  You two would never work out.  You should be happy that she’s in a good place and try to be her friend again.”

                “I don’t know if I’ll ever stop loving her,” said Ron. 

                “That’s on you, mate,” said Harry.  “Are you sure that it’s love?  Or is it nostalgia?  I remember how things were right after the war.  You had Hermione, I was with Ginny- we had the whole summer to spend together before our training began and Gin and Hermione went back to Hogwarts.  Probably one of the happiest times of our life- we were reunited, and even though there was a lot of work to do, we didn’t have instant death hanging over our heads.  Loving each other was easy.  It’s the time after, the separation, careers, school- that’s what counted, and that’s where you fell apart.”  Ron didn’t say anything.  “Just take some time to think about it.  Charlie and Hermione are staying at the Burrow through New Years.  We’ll be there tomorrow for Christmas- most of the others are going to their other families.  Andromeda and Teddy will be there.  Why don’t you come tomorrow- you two can talk and put things right.”

                “I’ll think about it,” said Ron.

                A few days later, Ron walked into the Burrow to find Hermione and Charlie curled up on a sofa together.  He didn’t say anything right away- he just watched the two of them as they cuddled.  It hurt, but he couldn’t deny the way Charlie looked at her.  Clearing his throat, he came further into the room. “Ron!” Hermione exclaimed, sitting up a little.  He could see that they were both hesitant.  Charlie’s arm went protectively around his wife, and they both watched him as he came closer.

                “I was hoping to talk to you,” he said to Hermione.  “Alone.”

                Hermione and Charlie looked at each other, but Charlie nodded.  “It’s all right, Sweetheart,” he said to Hermione before kissing her and getting up.  He gave Ron a meaningful glance as he left the room, making it clear that he would be nearby, just in case.  Ron sat down in a chair close to Hermione, who had sat up and was watching him a little warily.

                “I’m sorry,” said Ron.  “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

                “No,” said Hermione.  “I’m fine.  Charlie is too.”

                They sat awkwardly for a little while before Ron spoke again.  “I talked with Harry the other day, after…well, after I left.  I didn’t know what life had been like for you after we broke up.”  Hermione didn’t say anything yet, waiting to see what more he had to say.  “I wish I could take back everything that happened- I wish I had never hurt you, and I’m sorry.  I could give you all the excuses in the world, but honestly, they’re all selfish crap.  I don’t have a good excuse.  You didn’t deserve what I did to you.”

                Hermione looked at Ron- she had never seen him so defeated in her life.  “Thank you, Ron.  Your apology means everything to me.”

                “Harry wanted me to be here for Christmas, but I needed some time to think,” said Ron.  “Everything you said the other night was true, and Harry didn’t cut me much slack either.  I’ve never been a very good friend, to either of you.  Have I?”  He couldn’t look up- he didn’t want to see her face, knowing his feelings were right.     

                “Of course you were,” said Hermione.  “We all had our bad times with each other.  We were children, and then later, we had the strain of hunting Horcruxes and trying to survive without being caught.  There were times when being together was like touching a raw nerve- but we made it through”

                “But I ruined everything,” said Ron.  “If I hadn’t cheated, we’d still be together.”

                “Would we?” asked Hermione.  “I don’t know if that’s true.  Eventually, I would have hit a breaking point, working a dead-end job or raising babies- I think I would have left.  And it probably would have ended badly.  At least now we have a chance of still being friends if we can put this all behind us.”

                “How can you be nice to me?” asked Ron.  “I treated you so horribly, I blamed you for Fred’s death in order to guilt trip you into not taking that job with Kingsley- I don’t deserve your forgiveness.”

                “Ronald,” said Hermione, leaning forward to take his hand in hers.  “If we only forgave those who deserve it, there would be no forgiveness.  I’m not saying I understand why you did the things you did, but I can forgive it anyway.  We’re family now.  We can’t spend the rest of our lives making everyone choose between us.”

                Ron squeezed her hand.  “I can’t promise that I’ll be around all the time- there’s too much regret for me just to carry on as nothing happened.  Maybe we wouldn’t have worked out, but that doesn’t mean I don’t feel what I feel.  And I still love you.”

                “Ron, there is always going to be a place in my heart for you,” said Hermione.  “We’ll get through this, and you’ll find someone that makes you happy.  Now, Molly and Arthur are having a big New Year’s party.  Are you going to be there?”

                “I’d like that.”  Ron got up and pulled Hermione up, hugging her.  He walked into the kitchen to talk to his parents and saw Charlie sitting at the table with a cup of tea, and sat down across from him.  “I’m sorry,” he said to Charlie.  “I said and did terrible things the other night.”

                “It’s all right, Ron,” said Charlie.  “I know it was a shock.”  They sat quietly for a while, neither sure of what they wanted to say.

                “You’ll be good to her?” asked Ron. “You’ll love her and be there for her?”

                “All the time,” said Charlie.  “She’s everything to me.”


	9. You Didn't Think That Was All, Did You?

                Hermione came out at the tinkling of the bell to find a woman standing at the counter of the clinic.  “Can I help you?” asked Hermione as she studied the woman- she was stunningly beautiful and carried herself with a confidence that couldn’t be faked.

                “I’m here to pick up the potions for the dragon preserve,” the woman said.  She shook out her long black hair and grinned at Hermione.  “I’m Gabrielle Fontaine- I just started there.”

                “I didn’t think I’d seen you before,” said Hermione.  “How do you like it so far?”

                “It’s fine,” said Gabrielle.  “I was in Paris for a long while working for my father- I came out here for a change of pace.  I guess I missed the dragons more than I thought I would.” 

                Hermione carried in the box of potions and set them on the counter.  “You came out here from Paris?  Well, if you wanted a change of pace- you got it.  It’s pretty quiet around here.  I hope you don’t find it too dull.”

                “I think I’ll be fine,” said Gabrielle.  “It so happens I’m well acquainted with their senior handler- we go way back.  I’m hoping he’ll be enough of a distraction.” Hermione felt her stomach lurch- this must be the ex-girlfriend who wanted Charlie to move to Paris.  Knowing this made Hermione feel even more like a frump compared to the stunning Gabrielle.  She was every inch a Dragon wrangler, and Hermione could easily see why Charlie had loved her and she found that very intimidating.  She had never had much confidence in her looks, and in spite of Charlie’s loving words, she still doubted herself all the time.  “I heard he got married,” continued Gabrielle.  “Not that it worries me.  Well, it was nice meeting you.”  Gabrielle grabbed the potion box and headed out the door.  Hermione watched her, unsure of what to do.  She had already lost one relationship to an ex-girlfriend- would she lose her husband now too?  She wanted to believe that Charlie wouldn’t be interested in the woman he once wanted to marry, but her self-doubt kept creeping in.  She took a deep breath and tried to settle herself down like her therapist had taught her, knowing she still had a few hours and a few appointments before she could finish her day.

………

                Charlie arrived at home to find Hermione sitting quietly in the kitchen, a cup of tea in front of her and dinner simmering on the stove.  He could tell by the way she glanced at him before looking away that something was wrong.  “You’re late,” she said.  “Is everything all right?”

                “Just some problems with the big guy,” said Charlie.  “Maybe you should come out tomorrow and look in on him.  He settles down better for you than he does for me.”  Charlie sat down across from Hermione and studied her.  “Sweetheart, I know you met her today.”

                Hermione picked up her spoon and started stirring her tea.  “I did,” was all she said.  “How long have you known she was coming here?”

                “I found out when she got here,” said Charlie.  “I mean, I knew we were getting a new handler to replace Steven, but I didn’t know it would be Gabrielle until she walked in.”  He stopped Hermione from stirring her tea and took both of her hands in his.  “You know that there is nothing there for me any more right?  I love you, and nothing changes that.  I’m not my brother.”

                “I know that,” said Hermione.  “It’s just that…she makes me feel very self-conscious.  She’s stunning, and I get the impression that she is used to getting what she wants.”  She got up to stir the stew she had made.  “She told me it didn’t matter to her that you were married.  I’ll never be able to compete with her.”

                “I agree,” said Charlie.  “Because there is no competition.  Now come here.”  He got up and took Hermione’s hand and let her into the living room.  “Dinner can wait a few minutes.”  He sat down and drew Hermione into his lap.  “Let me ask you a question.  If Ron showed up here with the intention of winning you back, what would your answer be?”

                “No, of course,” said Hermione.  “But that’s different.  He left me for another woman, broke my trust and left me humiliated.  Gabrielle didn’t do that to you.”

                “Not in so many words,” said Charlie.  “Maybe it wasn’t another man who ended our relationship, but she broke my trust in several ways as well.  She expected me to give up what I loved doing and live somewhere I would be uncomfortable in so that she could be happy.”

                “But you stayed here when you could have gone back to Romania,” said Hermione. 

                “I did that for me- for us because I wanted to,” said Charlie.  “I’m still working with dragons, but now I have time for a family as well, and I love this village- so everything is a win-win for me.”  He squeezed his wife to him.  “You’ve never asked me to give up doing what I love; I doubt the thought even crossed your mind.  We’re good together- better than I ever imagined for myself.  Why on earth would I give that up?”

                Hermione gave out a little sob as Charlie held her close.  “I’m sorry,” she said.  “I just felt like such a frumpy toad when I looked at her.  I can only imagine how she’s going to look at me when she finds out I’m your wife.”

                “I guess we’ll see- are you going to come out tomorrow to see the big guy?” asked Charlie, as he nibbled her ear.  Hermione nodded, her breath hitching as Charlie nuzzled all the spots that made her go weak at the knees.  “So, you think dinner can wait a little longer?” he asked before catching her lips with his.  “I need to be inside you right now.”

                Hermione pointed her wand at the stove, turning the burner off.  “It’ll reheat,” she said breathlessly as Charlie pulled her shirt off.

………

                “Erich,” said Charlie, the next morning.  “Got a minute?”  Erich indicated the chair before his desk, and Charlie took a seat. 

                “I take it this is about the new handler?” asked Erich.

                “Did you know she’s my ex-girlfriend?” asked Charlie. 

                “Oh, she made sure to mention it,” said Erich.  “You’ve got a lively one on your hands, mate.  Is there going to be a problem?”

                “Not with me,” said Charlie.  “Hermione and I are fine- we talked it through last night.  It’s just that…well…Gabrielle has a flair for the drama, and she can be very ruthless in getting what she wants.  I was just wondering what she’s said- what her intentions are?”

                “I overheard her talking to one of the medics- asking about you.  Wanting to know who your wife was.  Don’t worry- no one has said anything.  Everyone here loves Hermione, and they still feel very protective of her.”

                “Hermione’s going to be here later, to look in on the big guy,” said Charlie.  “Gabrielle will have to meet her eventually.  Hermione can handle herself if she’d just be confident in herself.  We’re talking about the woman who dueled Bellatrix Lestrange more than once and lived to tell the tale.  Not many can claim that.”

                “Well, your Mum can,” said Erich, grinning.  “And your sister.  But you’re right- Hermione can handle it.  You’re lucky she likes you- I was going to ask her out myself.”

                “That reminds me- we’ll be heading home end of next month for about a week,” said Charlie.  “My brother Percy is getting married, and Mum wants us around to see family.”

                “Fine- just make the arrangements,” said Erich.

………

                Hermione arrived after lunch and stopped in to say hello to the medics before finding Charlie.  “So, you’re here to see the big guy?” asked Bryony- one of the medics she had become friendly with when she first arrived.   

                “Yes, Charlie asked me to stop in,” said Hermione.  “I just wanted to come to you first.”  She hesitated.  “I know you mostly handle burns and other dragon-related injuries, but could you…um…do a pregnancy test?”

                “I can,” said Bryony.  “We always keep supplies handy- we’re a coed bunch working a dangerous job.  You could easily find out yourself though- you know that right?”

                “I know,” said Hermione.  “I’m just nervous, and I want to make sure the test goes right.”  Bryony beckoned her behind the curtain and had her sit down. 

                “Have you had any symptoms?” asked Bryony. 

                “You mean aside from vomiting up last night’s dinner and breakfast after Charlie left this morning?”  asked Hermione. “And…I’m late.”

                Bryony waved her wand over Hermione’s belly and muttered the incantation.  A bright glow emanated from Hermione, and she gasped, feeling the tears in her eyes.

                “This is good news, yes?” asked Bryony, seeing Hermione’s tears.

                “Oh yes,” said Hermione. “We decided to start trying right away.  I didn’t think it would happen so fast- we’ve only been married a few months.”

                “Well, you’re on your way then.  First a house, and now a baby.  I’m so happy for you,” said Bryony brightly.  “Now if you can find room for a giant pet dragon, you’ll be good to go.”  They both laughed.  “Seriously Hermione,” she said.  “Congratulations.  Charlie will be thrilled.  Are you going to go tell him now?”  

                “I don’t know,” said Hermione. “I want to surprise him somehow.  I’ll think about it.”

                “So…I met her,” said Bryony, changing the subject.  “She asked about you.”

                “About me personally?  Does she know I’m married to Charlie?” asked Hermione.

                “If she does, she didn’t get it from me,” said Bryony.  “I think she assumed he was married to someone on the Preserve.”  She paused for a second. “Look, Hermione,  I don’t think I like her very much.  She’s got bigger talons than some of the dragons we have, and she made it pretty clear she’s after Charlie.  I can’t believe he was going to marry her- they’re so different.  You know about her right?”

                “Yes,” sighed Hermione.  “She came around to the clinic to pick up potions yesterday.  Charlie and I talked about it last night- and I knew about their relationship before.”  She bit her lip.  “Even though we talked, I can’t help but feel intimidated by her.”     

                “You’re intimidated?” asked Bryony disbelievingly.  “You’re Hermione Granger…sorry…Weasley.  You helped Harry Potter defeat You Know Who.  I don’t think I need to list your accomplishments- you know what you did.  What on earth makes you think she can compare to you?  Now, you go out there and tame your dragon, and then shove your tongue down your husband’s throat right in front of her.  Make her know that he is yours.”

                Hermione laughed.  Bryony was right, and Charlie had been right last night too.  She had nothing to worry about.

………

                Hermione approached, seeing Gabrielle standing very close to Charlie, obviously flirting.  They were both standing by her dragon, and from what Hermione could tell, Gabrielle was trying to show off by trying to calm the big guy- but was failing.  Charlie looked around in exasperation, and he brightened as his eyes fell on Hermione.

                “Hey,” he said. “I was wondering when you’d be here.”

                “She should probably keep her distance,” snapped Gabrielle.  “This dragon is unpredictable.”  She looked at Hermione.  “Do you need to be here?  I just picked up potions yesterday.  I wasn’t aware that civilians were allowed on the preserve.”

                “She’s our medic, Gabrielle,” said Charlie. 

                “None of the dragons need medical attention right now,” said Gabrielle.  “You are not needed.”

                “Yes, she is,” said Charlie.  “Gabrielle, this is my wife, Hermione.  She’s here to help with the big guy.”

                “How can she help?” asked Gabrielle, taking an appraising look at Hermione.  “She’s not exactly built for wrangling.  In fact, she doesn’t look like she’s built for you either.”

                Charlie sighed. He could see what Gabrielle was trying to do, and was surprised to see Hermione roll her eyes and walk towards the dragon.  The big guy’s head perked up, and he keened a low cry when he caught Hermione’s scent.  Hermione patted the dragon’s head and murmured to him for a little while, while Gabrielle looked on in disbelief.  Charlie smiled to see the look on Gabrielle’s face, but he frowned a little in confusion when he saw the big guy taking a deep sniff in Hermione’s direction and then butt her with his head.  Hermione smiled at the dragon’s reaction and wondered if he could smell that she was pregnant. 

                Gabrielle watched the dragon and Hermione in a silent fury- she didn’t like being shown up.  She stormed up to the old dragon and was forced to step back as she was snapped at.  “Don’t!” said Hermione.  “He’s old and blind.  You can’t just come stomping up on him- he startles easily.”

                “Hermione is right,” said Charlie.  He approached the old dragon, and while he wasn’t snapped at, he could tell that something was different.  The big guy seemed reluctant to let Charlie approach as well but tolerated it because Charlie’s scent was mingled with Hermione’s.  Realization dawned on him as he looked back and forth between Hermione and the old dragon- he was protecting her.

                “Well, why is this dragon even here then?” snapped Gabrielle. “He’s old and blind and can’t take care of himself.  He has no value and just creates extra work.”

                Hermione looked at Gabrielle sharply and marched up to her and stabbed a finger in her chest.  “He’s here because he deserves to be.  He spent years, centuries of his life shut away and abused horribly, all so wizards and goblins could protect their precious treasures.  He saved my life, just as much as I saved his. Would you want someone calling you useless because of events beyond your control?  He deserves to live the rest of his life in comfort, and if you don’t like it, you can fuck right off.”  Hermione turned back to the old dragon and saw that he had fallen asleep, and she stalked away before she slapped the arrogant woman.

                Suppressing a laugh, Charlie followed as Gabrielle glared after them.  She heard the chuckling from behind her and turned to see a few of the other handlers and medics watching the show.  She flushed with anger.  “What are you all laughing at?”

                “You don’t know who that is, do you?” asked Bryony.  Gabrielle didn’t say anything.  “That’s Hermione Granger.  You know- the war hero?  That’s the dragon she freed from Gringott’s.  I knew she had a temper; I’ve just never seen it.  I’ve never heard her swear either.” Laughing, Bryony and the others went back to their work, leaving Gabrielle fuming.

………

                Charlie followed Hermione and pulled her into the tent he kept for when he had to take overnight duty.  He pushed her against the bookcase and crashed his lips to hers, wrapping his arms around her.  Coming up for a breath before continuing down her neck he said, “Sweetheart, that was so fucking hot.   You need to lose your temper more often- as long as it’s not in my direction.”  Hermione couldn’t say anything back, her desire reaching a boiling point.  “If I didn’t have work to do, I’d keep you in here the rest of the day.  That being said, I have to get back to it- but tonight, first we’re going to talk about the baby, and then I’m going to thoroughly fuck you.”

                “You know?” Hermione gasped.  “How?”

                Charlie chuckled and groaned at the same time.  “Dragons don’t lie, Love,” he said.  “I realized it when the big guy got all protective.”  He pushed himself away from her, painfully.  “It’s true?” he asked hopefully.

                Hermione nodded.  “Bryony just confirmed it before I came to find you,” she said.  “I was trying to decide how to tell you.  The big guy beat me to it, I guess.  We’re having a baby.”

                Charlie pressed his forehead against hers, and his hand went to her belly.  “I can’t tell you how happy I am, Sweetheart.  Now, get out of here before I ravish you on work time.”

                “Only if you keep your promise to ravish me tonight,” said Hermione, pulling him close and catching his lips with hers again.    

                Charlie groaned against her.   “You’re killing me, woman."


	10. Ex-Girlfriends Suck

                “So, you married the mudblood?”  Charlie whipped around upon hearing that word and stared at Gabrielle.  “No wonder you didn’t say who she was.  Does she come at you like she came at me?  I guess we know who wears the pants in your relationship.”

                “Don’t use that word, Gabrielle,” said Charlie.  “And no.  It seems you are the only one to bear the brunt of her wrath lately.”  He looked at her again.  “Why are you here?”

                “I wanted to see you,” said Gabrielle.  “I headed back to Romania, but they told me that you had come here.  Why?”  She looked around the preserve with a slight bit of distaste evident.  “It’s not much- Romania is better.”

                “It was temporary at first, but they offered me a permanent position,” said Charlie.  “Since Hermione was here, I took it.”

                “So, it’s ok to come here for a girl, but you wouldn’t go to Paris?” snapped Gabrielle.

                “Hermione didn’t expect me to give up everything I loved for her sake,” said Charlie. “I told you I wasn’t cut out for a desk job in your father’s company, but you didn’t care.”

                “I’m sorry about that,” said Gabrielle.  “I didn’t realize how dull it would be until I did it myself.  I should have listened to you.  I had hoped for a second chance.”

                “Well, that’s obviously not going to happen,” said Charlie.  “Even if I wasn’t married, our time was done the minute you left.  I hadn’t realized how much you wanted to change me until we were through.  The clothes, the hair- you tried to change everything about me to suit you.  I put up with it because I loved you and wanted you to be happy, but I almost lost myself in the process.”

                “It would be different this time,” said Gabrielle.  “I’d be happy with you just the way you are.  No one ever made me feel like you did.  We could go back to Romania, just the two of us- back to the preserve there.  Remember the excitement and action?  Come on, Charlie.  Let’s do it.”

                Charlie stared at her incredulously.  “Are you forgetting that I am married?  That I have a life here?”

                Gabrielle waved her hand dismissively.  “She’ll get over it.  She’s used to being dumped from what I understand.”

                “Get away from me,” said Charlie, his voice shaking with anger. “You have no idea what she’s been through- she’s accomplished more in her life now than you ever will.  You stay away from us.  If you want to go back to Romania, then go.   There’s nothing for you here.”  He turned around and stalked away from her, angry at her disruption of what had been a good day.  He had been daydreaming about the baby and reliving his unforgettable night with his wife, and that good feeling was gone.  Looking at the time, he headed back to grab his things; it was time to go home and see his beautiful, pregnant wife.  Things were starting to look up already.

………

                “You’re quiet Charlie,” said Hermione as they ate dinner.  “Did you have a bad day?”

                “I was having a great day until Gabrielle came to talk to me,” said Charlie.  He gave her a brief run-down of the conversation.  “I wasn’t sure I was going to tell you what she said, but I don’t want to hide anything from you.  I told her to stay away from us.”

                Hermione was unsure of what to say.  “She wanted you to leave me?” she asked.  “That takes a bit of nerve…”  She sat in thought for a while.  “Is there going to be trouble?”

                “I don’t know,” said Charlie.  “I’m hoping she’ll give up and leave.”   He saw Hermione get a thoughtful look and glance over at her bookcase as if itching to start looking things up.  “Something on your mind, Love?”

                “A lot of things, but I need to do some reading before I start speculating,” said Hermione.  Charlie smiled.  He remembered Harry and Ron complaining that she would do this all the time at Hogwarts and when they were on the run, and decided it would be best to let her do her thing. 

………

                “Bill?”  Bill turned to see Hermione in the floo at Shell Cottage. 

                “Hermione,” said Bill with surprise.  They had never spoken much alone before, and he hadn’t seen her since Christmas.  “Is everything ok- is Charlie ok?”

                “We’re fine,” said Hermione.  “But…um…I have a question for you.  Do you know Gabrielle?”

                Bill frowned.  “Charlie’s ex?  Yes, I met her.  She really hurt him- why?”

                “She’s here, at the preserve,” said Hermione.  Bill sat up, concerned but Hermione stopped him.  “We’re fine, Bill.  It’s not like that.  Well…not on our part anyway.  She’s made a play for Charlie a few times, and doesn’t seem to want to give up, even though Charlie told her to stay away from us.” 

                “So why doesn’t Charlie have her transferred?” asked Bill.

                “Because she hasn’t done anything wrong yet, really,” said Hermione.  “He’s concerned that if he gets her transferred that it will send the wrong message.  She makes us uncomfortable, but that’s not illegal.  We’re hoping she’ll leave on her own- she’s not very popular here.”

                Bill nodded. “I understand, but why are you coming to me?”

                “You’re a curse-breaker,” said Hermione.  “I was wondering about something that the two of us could wear that could detect any potions or things she might use on Charlie, or on me.  I’ve been reading about it, but my book collection doesn’t have a lot.”

                “You think she’ll go that far?” asked Bill.  “I remember she liked things her way, but drugging someone would take the sport out of it.”

                “I don’t know,” said Hermione.  “I just have a feeling, and I want to take some precautions.” Bill thought about it for a minute and then held up a finger, indicating for Hermione to hang on while he left the room.  He came back with a book and passed it through the floo to Hermione.

                “Try this- there should be some good charms in there you can use to enchant a wearable object,” said Bill.  “Since Charlie doesn’t wear any jewelry except his wedding ring, I recommend you use that- in fact, enchant both of your rings.  There’s one spell in there that would be perfect- it will cause whatever you enchant to glow and get warm in the presence of ill intent.”  Hermione nodded and thanked him.  “Hermione, just be careful,” said Bill.  “Will we see you at Perce’s wedding?”

                “We’ll be there,” said Hermione.  “Thanks again.”

………

                “Charlie, give me your wedding ring for a moment,” Hermione said the next day.  Charlie looked up at her for a moment, before removing his ring and handing it to her.  She put it on the table and tapped it with her wand, smiling as the ring glowed slightly before handing it back to him.  “I put a charm on it, so if Gabrielle tries to give you a love potion, or does something dubious, your ring will heat up a little and glow.  I’ve done the same for my ring.”

                Charlie looked at his ring after he put it back on his finger.  “I hope she doesn’t stoop that low,” he finally said.  “Maybe I should just ask to have her transferred.”

                “You can if you want,” said Hermione.  “But if you do, she might take it to mean that she is too tempting and that you sent her away to get rid of that temptation.  Then she would probably redouble her efforts.”

                Charlie sighed, knowing Hermione was right.  “I’m sorry you have to put up with this,” he said.  “This should be a wonderful, miraculous time in our lives- newly married, having a baby, and she’s ruining it.”

                “Hey,” said Hermione, coming over to him and sitting down, straddling his lap.  “She only ruins it if we let her.  Now we both have the day off, so why don’t we do something fun…” Hermione paused a second before getting up quickly. “Or we can spend the day throwing up,” she said as she ran to the bathroom.

………

                Hermione came to into the room when she heard the tinkling of the bell and stopped to see Gabrielle standing at the counter.  “What do you want?” Hermione asked.  She wasn’t feeling well and was annoyed that this woman was here to bother her.  “I wasn’t asked for any potions- so why are you here?”

                “I came to talk to you about Charlie,” said Gabrielle.  Hermione crossed her arms and waited for her to speak.  “Look, you don’t know me very well, but you have to know that I always get what I want, and I stop at nothing to get it.  And I want Charlie back.”

                “He’s not a toy, Gabrielle.  He doesn’t belong to anyone,” said Hermione calmly.  “You don’t know me very well either.  Did you think that Charlie and I wouldn’t talk about this?  He made his choice, and you are going to have to deal with it.”

                “Do you really think that he would have even noticed you if I had been in the picture when you met?” asked Gabrielle.  She was smiling smugly, trying to unnerve her opponent with her confidence. 

                “If you were in the picture, probably not,” conceded Hermione.  “But that’s because Charlie is loyal.  If you had been here and you two were in love, I would have considered him off limits, and he wouldn’t have noticed me because his eyes would have been only for you.  I would have respected your relationship.”  Gabrielle started to speak, but Hermione stopped her.  “But you weren’t here.  You left him, and you hurt him.  Badly.  If you cared about him- truly cared about what he wanted, you’d respect what he wants and leave him alone.”

                “I care about what he wants,” retorted Gabrielle.  “Do you think he’s going to want this life forever?  Sure, maybe he’s happy now, but sooner or later, he’ll get bored here.  He’ll want more action- the way his life used to be before he came here.  But now he’s tied to you and this job and this village, and he’ll end up screaming on the inside.” 

                Hermione could feel the warmth of her wedding ring and knew instantly that Gabrielle was trying to get under her skin and cause doubt, and she had to admit that it was working.   The spell she had put on her ring helped her understand that Gabrielle was lying, but she very badly wanted to run and talk to Charlie right away. Pushing those feeling aside for the moment, she looked at Gabrielle again.  “Well, I guess that is our problem- not yours anymore.  Charlie knows that if he wants to go back to Romania, that we would take the time to discuss it, and that we would make it work.  He’s important to me- his happiness is important to me -just as mine is to him.  So in our marriage, the only screaming going on will be in the bedroom.”  Hermione grinned, surprised at herself for being so forward about their sex life.

              Gabrielle stopped smiling and drew her wand out of her pocket, pointing it at Hermione.  “How dare you,” she spat.  She started to mutter a spell, but Hermione protected herself with a wave of her wand.

              “Do you really want to go there?” asked Hermione.  “I’ve stood up to bigger and better than you and came out the survivor.  Tell me- how many death eaters have you dueled?  You can’t even use your wand nonverbally, which means I can counter anything and everything you throw at me with no trouble.”  She kept her wand pointed at Gabrielle.  “Now get out.”

              “Yes, get out,” she heard another voice say.  She looked over and saw Bill standing, his wand trained on Gabrielle as well.  “You don’t want to go to Azkaban for an unprovoked attack, do you?”

              “Bill…”Gabrielle stuttered, lowering her wand.  “It’s not what you think.  I just came in here to get potions, and she started yelling at me.  I provoked nothing.  She threatened me first.”

               “Don’t insult my intelligence,” said Bill.  “I was standing outside for most of the conversation, and I heard every word.  I suggest you get while the getting’s good, and don’t think I won’t tell Charlie about this, and the director.”  Gabrielle paled, and after throwing Hermione a nasty look, turned and fled.  “What a bitch,” said Bill as he stowed his wand.  He turned to Hermione, who had put her wand down and was leaning on the counter for support.  “I came to see how things were- if you used that spell.  Are you ok?”

                Hermione covered her mouth and staggered to the bathroom, collapsing in front of the toilet and vomiting violently.  When she was done, she sat back, wiping her mouth, but found she was too weak to stand up.  She looked up to see Bill standing at the door, looking at her with concern.

               “You’re pregnant,” he said.  She looked at him again, and he tapped the side of his nose.  “Wolf sense of smell,” he said simply.  “Did you know?”

                “I found out a few days ago.  Charlie and I were going to tell your mum and dad when they come to visit, and we were going to announce it after Percy’s wedding.”  Hermione tried to stand but found she couldn’t.  Bill went to help her up, but she stopped him.  “I’m going to be sick again,” she said, lurching for the toilet.  “Go away; I don’t want you to see this.”

                “It’s all right, Hermione,” said Bill calmly.  “I had to help Fleur through the same thing.”  He held her hair and rubbed her back gently until she was done.  “Done?” he asked. 

                “I think so,” said Hermione.  She didn’t feel right but didn’t know how to explain it.   “Something’s wrong,” she said, trying to get up.

                 “What- do you feel cramping?” asked Bill.  Hermione shook her head but didn’t say anything else.  “Is there a healer in town?” he asked her.  She nodded vaguely. He looked up as he heard the bell.

                 “Hermione, dear, where are you?” She could hear Mrs. Duerst coming in.  Bill went out to meet her.  “You’re the brother, right?  From the wedding?  Is Hermione here?”

                “She is,” said Bill, “but she’s not well.  Is there a healer nearby?  I can’t get an answer out of Hermione.”

                “Oh dear,” said Mrs. Duerst.  “Of course- the healer isn’t far.  Can she be moved?  We can take her there right away.”

                “I think so,” said Bill.  He sent a Patronus to find Charlie and went back into the bathroom to pick Hermione up.  He could tell something wasn’t right and frowned.  It wasn’t morning sickness- he could smell something different, but he couldn’t put his finger on it.   He headed out the door that Mrs. Duerst was holding open and followed her to the healer’s clinic.

                When they got inside, Mrs. Duerst called out. “Mathias, I have an emergency.” 

                “Mum, what’s going on?”  The young healer came out of his office and stopped short, seeing Hermione in Bill’s arms.  “Bring her in here.  Symptoms?”  Bill listed off what he knew since it seemed like Hermione wasn’t able to speak.

                “Something is off,” said Bill.  “It’s not a potion or anything, but something is interfering with the pregnancy.”  They heard the telltale crack as Charlie apparated into the waiting room.  He came rushing in, a look of shock on his face when he saw Hermione on the bed.

                 “What happened?” he asked, hurrying to her bedside and taking her hand.  “Hermione, Sweetheart, talk to me. Wait, Bill?  What are you doing here?”

                 “I came to see the two of you- I was the one who gave Hermione the idea to spell your wedding rings.  I wanted to see if it worked.  I arrived at her clinic to find her in a standoff with your ex-girlfriend.”  Charlie frowned, not quite understanding.  “We’ll talk about that later,” Bill assured him.  “Anyway, when Gabrielle left, Hermione got sick, and she collapsed in the bathroom.  She’s not responding to anything, but she’s awake.  It’s almost like she’s cursed or something.  I can’t figure it out.”

                 “Oh,” Charlie breathed.  “Can curses do something like that?  Do we need to find Gabrielle to see what she did?”

                 “There are a lot of different curses, but I don’t think this was Gabrielle.  She didn’t even get a chance to do anything, Hermione had cast a protection spell on herself before the spell was even out of Gabrielle’s mouth.  This is something else.”

                  Charlie sighed.  He reached over and took Hermione’s arm in his and pushed up her sleeve.  Mathias and Bill looked to see the word carved into her arm.  “A gift from Bellatrix Lestrange,” said Charlie.  “She told me that nothing would cover it- no spells or anything. It was made with a cursed blade when she and Harry and Ron had been captured by Snatchers.  If Dobby hadn’t rescued them, she’d probably be dead.” 

                  Bill ran his finger along the words, and he could feel something emanating from it.  “It could be the source- I’d have to do some research.”

                  “Well, why don’t you let me give her an examination,” said Mathias.  “I’ll run some tests and check on the pregnancy, and we’ll see if we can pinpoint the cause of the problem.  I don’t have much experience with curse marks though.”

                  “I do,” said Bill.  “I’m a curse breaker with Gringotts.  I may be able to help.  I’ll be back in a bit.” He clasped Charlie’s shoulder for a second before leaving the room. 

………

                Bill apparated to the Ministry and went into Harry’s office.  “Harry, I need to see you.”

                “Sure Bill,” said Harry, surprised to see him.  “What’s going on?”

                Bill sat down and looked at Harry.  “It’s about Hermione. She’s in trouble.”  Harry started and waited for Bill to continue.  “Did you know that Bellatrix Lestrange carved the word “Mudblood” into her arm using a cursed dagger the night you guys were caught?”

                “What? No!” exclaimed Harry.  “She never said anything.”

                Bill nodded.  “I guess only a few people knew- Ron, Bellatrix, obviously, and Madame Pomfrey.  Maybe Fleur since she saw to Hermione after you arrived at Shell Cottage, but I’d have to ask her.  Anyway, it’s causing some problems for her.  The quickest way for me to determine the nature of the curse is to examine the blade that caused it.  Do you know where it is?”

                Harry sat back in his chair and silently pointed at the wall behind Bill.  Harry had hung the dagger in his office to remind him of Dobby and the price of his aid.  “I couldn’t keep it at home with the kids.  I thought at the time about burying it with Dobby, but I couldn’t do it.  Please take it. Help her.”

                Bill took the dagger off the wall and pocketed it.  “I’ll bring it back when I’m done.”

                “Will you tell me what’s wrong with her?  Will she be all right?” asked Harry.

                “I can’t tell right now.  I’ll keep you posted as soon as I know anything, I swear it.  Don’t say anything to anyone, especially Mum and Dad,” said Bill.  Harry nodded as Bill left the room.

………

                “Mr. Weasley,” said Mathias. “Whatever the problem is, it’s not the pregnancy itself or anything she was given.  I’m certain it’s the curse mark- so all we can do is keep her comfortable and wait for your brother to return.”

                “Can I see her?” asked Charlie.

                “She’s awake, and she seems to be lucid, so yes.”  Charlie rushed in and sat down in a chair next to Hermione’s bed. 

                “Sweetheart?” Charlie took her hand in his anxiously.  “Can you talk to me?”

                “I feel so strange,” Hermione said.  “What’s happening to me?”

                “We think it’s that cursed mark on your arm,” explained Charlie.  “Bill is working on it as fast as he can.  Do you feel up to telling me what happened today?”  Hermione motioned for her wand, and after Charlie handed it to her, she held it to her temple and withdrew a memory as a frail wisp of smoke, putting it in a glass.  Charlie covered the top of the glass with his hand and looked around.  Healer’s usually kept pensieves around so they could use their patient’s memories to help diagnose their ailments.  He spied one in the corner and dumped the memory into it and watch what happened that morning.   “I’m sorry, Love,” he said when he had finished.  He sat next to Hermione again and took her hand.  “I’ll keep her away from you from now on; I’m so sorry.”

                “Not your fault,” said Hermione.  “Charlie, I’m scared.  Why is this happening?” 

                “Shhh,” said Charlie, gently wiping the tears from her cheeks.  “I don’t know, but I do know that Bill won’t rest until he figures it out and breaks it.  He’s always been that way, and he’s the best.  Just rest for now, he’ll be along soon enough.”  Hermione, her breath hitching, nodded and closed her eyes.   

                That evening, Bill returned to see Hermione shifting restlessly in her bed and Charlie dozing in the chair next to her.  “Hey,” he called quietly.  Charlie started, got up and walked over to Bill.  “I found something.  Harry had the original dagger still, and I was able to figure it out.  I can help her.”  Charlie sagged with relief.  Bill sat down and gently took Hermione’s arm in his.  He pointed his wand at the letters and several shots of silver light pulsed from his wand and filled the letters briefly before fading away.  When he was satisfied with that, he put his wand down and picked up the dagger and held it to Hermione’s arm.  There was another large flash of silver and a pulse from the dagger before everything died out.  Hermione looked at her arm.  The letters had scarred over and faded considerably, no longer the angry red that it used to be, and she felt much better.

                “How?” she asked him.

                “Hard to explain,” said Bill.  “This was not an intended effect of the curse.  The dagger was just cursed to cause permanent injuries.  I think the stress from the argument, plus the protection charm, plus the pregnancy caused some mutation of the original curse.  Luckily, it wasn’t a curse that was geared towards you in particular.”

                Mathias hurried over to check Hermione over as Charlie watched on anxiously.  “You seem to be better,” said Mathias.  “I think I’d like to keep you here overnight, just as a precaution.” He hesitated.  “I don’t want to cause worry, but I wonder how all of this has affected the baby.”  There as silence in the room.  “I can run some tests, but unfortunately, only time will tell.”  He looked at the worried faces of the young parents-to-be. “I’m so sorry I can’t give you a better outlook.  I know it’s hard, and I’ll do my best to help you.”

                “I know you will,” said Charlie.  “We just need some time to take this all in.”  He looked at Hermione.  “I’m going to go to the preserve to talk to Erich, and then I’ll run home to collect some things for us.  I’ll stay here with you tonight.” Hermione started to protest but stopped when Charlie caressed her cheek.  “No arguments.  I’m staying.” Hermione nodded and settled back in.

                “I’ll run the tests while you are out,” said Mathias.  “Try not to worry.”

………

                Charlie and Bill apparated to the preserve and headed to his tent to grab some things he needed. “I have to make some rounds quick,” said Charlie.  “I won’t be long.  You can wait here if you want.”

                “I’ll come with you,” said Bill.  “I don’t think you should be alone right now.” 

                They walked through the keep, Charlie checking on various issues that had come up in his absence.  While they were watching, Gabrielle approached the two of them.  “Charlie, can I talk to you for a few minutes?”  The brothers glanced at each other.

                “I don’t think so,” said Charlie.  “I think enough has been said, don’t you?”

                “No,” said Gabrielle.  “I owe you an apology.  I feel responsible for what happened to your wife and her health issue- things went too far out of hand.  Can I please just talk to you for a few minutes?  Alone?”

                Charlie sighed, and with a glance at Bill, walked off with Gabrielle. 


	11. Ugh, Really?

                “Want some tea?” asked Gabrielle.  They had headed over to the small cafeteria since it was the closest building and found it empty.  Charlie looked at her for a moment, and with a glance at his ring, nodded his head.  He sat down at a table while Gabrielle busied herself with two cups and the fixings, bringing them to the table.

                “So what do you want to say?” asked Charlie. 

                “It’s just…I don’t want to lose my job here,” said Gabrielle.  “I need the work, and I guess I haven’t made a very good impression.”

                “That’s an understatement,” said Charlie.  “I tried to warn you.”

                “I know,” said Gabrielle.  “I just missed you- I should never have left you, and I had been hoping we could pick up where we left off.  It never occurred to me that you would move on and get married.”

                “It didn’t occur to me either,” said Charlie.  “I stayed single for a long time because I didn’t want to trust anyone.  Hermione changed that for me.  You need to find someone that’s right for you.  And that person isn’t me.”

                “Is Hermione all right?” asked Gabrielle.

                “I don’t know yet,” said Charlie.  “I don’t want to talk about it with you.”

                “I understand,” said Gabrielle.  She pushed a cup towards Charlie.  “It’s chamomile- it will help calm you.”  Charlie sat and stared at the cup for a moment, uncertain of what he wanted to do.  He suspected Gabrielle was up to something, he could tell from her body language.  When he reached for the cup, he felt his ring go warm and detected the slight glowing coming off it. 

                In an effort to distract Gabrielle from noticing his ring, he said, “Is there any milk?”  Gabrielle went to the cooler to get some milk for him while he pulled the tea closer.  While he was stirring in some milk, he remembered the story Harry had told him about how Umbridge had tried to give him veritaserum in tea and how he fooled her into thinking he was drinking it, and decided to follow suit.  He took a tightlipped pretend sip of the tea.  He could smell the things he loved- the honeysuckle perfume that Hermione favored, fresh sunlit air, his mum’s Shepherds Pie.  _Amortentia…_

                He looked up and saw Gabrielle staring at him intently and pretended to take another sip of the tea.  “What’s on your mind, Charlie?” she purred.  “Are you feeling better? Chamomile always helps,” she whispered.  She stood up and came around the table to straddle his lap.  “Now, who are you in love with?  Who are you going home with?  Doesn’t it feel better to be free of her and be back with me?”

                “I’m in love…with my wife,” said Charlie in a level tone.  He pushed Gabrielle off him and stood up, grabbing the cup of tea and leaving the room.  Out in the night air once again, he sent a Patronus to Erich to come to his office immediately and found Bill standing outside looking at the big guy.

                “She tried to spike me with amortentia,” said Charlie, holding up the cup.  “Come on; we’re meeting Erich in his office.”

………

                “I didn’t want to say anything because up until today, she hadn’t done anything wrong,” said Charlie.  “Aside from making Hermione and I uncomfortable.”  He was pacing in Erich’s office while Bill and Erich looked on.  “She has to go.  It’s obvious she’s not going to give up, and now with the baby…” Charlie stopped. 

                Bill stopped him and pulled his brother into a hug.  “It’s all right, Charlie.”  He hadn’t seen Charlie this devastated since Gabrielle had left him. Bill had been the one to stay with him and pick up the pieces after she left, and even though he knew Charlie was strong, he knew that Charlie needed to let it out so he could be strong for Hermione.  “Hermione is strong.  No matter the outcome, you two will get through this.”  He couldn’t bring himself to say the baby would be fine- he didn’t want to make any promises he couldn’t keep.

                Charlie nodded, feeling a little better.  He turned to Erich and waited for him to speak.  “I’ll get rid of her,” said Erich.  “It’s no secret that she isn’t very popular around here- too many people like you and Hermione to tolerate what she was doing, and what she said about the big guy was probably the last straw for a lot of them.  If they heard about this, which they won’t unless you tell them, they’d probably hex her into oblivion.”

                “Charlie, why don’t you finish doing what you need and get back to Hermione,” said Bill.  “Erich and I will see she leaves tonight.  I’ll come and see you before I leave.”

………

                Bill arrived later that night to find Charlie and Hermione curled up in bed together, asleep. Charlie had his arms wrapped protectively around her, and Bill smiled to himself, knowing that no matter what happened, they would make it through together.

………

                “Come on Charlie, they’re waiting for us,” called Hermione.  She had packed what they needed for the week in her beaded bag, and was waiting to take the floo to the Burrow since Mathias had strictly forbidden Hermione from apparating while pregnant. 

                “I’m still not sure we should go,” said Charlie as he grabbed the container of floo powder.   He was nervous about traveling so far with Hermione being pregnant, even though Mathias had said it would be all right.  They had told Molly and Arthur when they had come to visit the previous month, and they were both overjoyed, but guarded given what had happened.   “Everyone will understand if we don’t come.”

                “I know,” said Hermione.  “But I want to see everyone.” She took Charlie’s hand.  “I know how you feel, but shutting ourselves away isn’t going to help.  Mathias said that if it’s meant to be, then it’s meant to be.  We won’t be able to stop it from happening if the baby doesn’t make it.  I need to be around our family for a while. Please?”

                “You know I can’t deny you anything,” Charlie said as he pressed a kiss to her temple. 

………

                They arrived at the Burrow to find only Molly and Arthur waiting for them.  “We figured it would be a little quieter and less stressful that way,” said Molly, patting the dust from Charlie’s shirt.  “Come on; I have tea on.”

                They sat down at the table with their tea and caught up a little bit before Arthur finally asked.  “Is there any news about the baby?”

                “Not really,” said Hermione after a little while.  “This curse is a ticking time bomb.  Mathias sent us to a specialist in Geneva, and they couldn’t tell us much more either.  Charlie wanted me on bedrest, but they said that wouldn’t help at all, and would probably make things worse because it would put even more burden on us.  I try to take it easy-  Dr. Schiesser has been helping at the clinic still, and we hired a new assistant.  All we can do is wait.”

                “I’m so sorry, dear,” said Molly.  “We’ll make your visit as stress-free as we can.”

                “It’s all right, Mum,” said Charlie. “We need to see family, to keep things normal.  If everyone treats us like we’re on our deathbeds, it will make things worse in the long run.”

                “Are you still planning on telling people?” asked Arthur.

                “Not as many as we planned,” said Charlie.  “Just immediate family for now- the adults anyway.  If we get closer to the due date and it’s looking good, then we’ll spread the word. 

                Molly and Arthur leaned forward and took Charlie and Hermione’s hands into theirs.  “Just know that this baby is loved, no matter what happens.  We can’t wait to meet him or her.” 

                Charlie and Hermione looked at each other and Charlie nodded.  Hermione let go of Arthur’s hand and took her wand out, waving it in front of her.  The room was filled with the sound of a rushing vibration that was unmistakable.  “The heartbeat,” said Charlie.  They all sat and listened, all hoping for the best.


	12. A Gain and a Loss

                That night, Molly was overjoyed to have her entire family- all her children and their families at the Burrow for a big celebratory dinner.  Fred’s presence was keenly missed, of course, and a chair had been left empty in his honor.  After dinner, everyone sat at the table and listened to Charlie and Hermione’s story.  She showed them the leftover scar, the words still faintly able to be made out if you knew what to look for, and explained the situation with the baby.  The table was quiet as they digested the news, and more than a few tears were hurriedly wiped away as the news was broken.  Ginny finally stood up and broke the silence.

                “Well, I’ll say congratulations!” she said brightly.  “Stay positive!”  She got up and hugged Hermione and Charlie.  Everyone else took their cue from Ginny and got up to congratulate the couple and tell them they wished for the best.  Even Ron gave Hermione a stiff hug and shook Charlie’s hand and tried to be happy for them.  In spite of the fear that Hermione still felt, she enjoyed this time with her family and was glad that she had them in her life again. 

………

                 “Dance with me?”  Hermione looked up to see Harry holding his hand out to her.  She smiled and stood to take his hand.  They danced quietly for a while before Harry spoke again.  “I’m glad you came back,” he said.  “How are you feeling?  I was really worried when Bill came to see me.”

                “I’m all right,” said Hermione.  “I’m relieved you kept the knife- I never got to thank you.”

                “No need,” said Harry.  “I just wish there was more I could do.”

                “We all wish that,” said Hermione.  She hesitated.  “How has Ron been?”

                “He’s been getting better, I guess,” sighed Harry.  “I think he finally understands the consequences of his actions.  Now he just need to finish coming to terms with what he’s lost and attending this wedding is probably not helping.  He’ll be fine in time.  In fact, I was hoping that maybe the three of us could take a walk tomorrow- just the three of us if you’re feeling up to it.  We haven’t spent time together in so long.”              

                “I’d like that,” Hermione said.

………

                They spent a bit of time walking and talking the next day.  At first, the conversation was a little stilted between Ron and Hermione, but eventually, they started reminiscing about school and before long, it was almost like old times.  They were laughing over their memories of Hagrid and the Blast-Ended Skrewts when Hermione doubled over in pain.  Harry caught her and lowered her to the ground and yelled for Ron to get help. 

                “Charlie!”  Charlie turned to see Ron running towards him, a panicked expression on his face.  “It’s Hermione; you need to come right now.”  Ron grabbed his hand, and they apparated back to where Harry was holding a crying Hermione. 

                “Sweetheart,” he breathed as he ran to her side.  “Merlin, no,” he said as he saw the blood- it was happening.  “Ron, get ahead to the Burrow and get the floo powder ready.  I need to get her to St. Mungo’s.”  He picked Hermione up, wincing as she screamed in pain.  “It’s all right, Sweetheart, we’ll get you to help right away,” he tried to reassure her.  He carried her as gently and quickly as he could inside the house where Ron and his parents were waiting with the Floo powder.  He grabbed a scoop of the powder as he ran into the fireplace and disappeared in a puff of green flame. 

                Everyone watched the fireplace, trying to process what had just happened before Arthur finally spoke up.  “Molly, let’s go.  They are going to need us.  Bill, you should come too- you know more about the curse than anyone.”  The three of them stepped into the floo and left, leaving everyone to wait for news.

                They arrived to find Charlie sitting in the waiting area, his hands still covered in Hermione’s blood. He looked up to see them standing before him and looked down again.  “I don’t know yet,” said Charlie.  “But it doesn’t look good.”  He got up and started pacing.  “Just once, I’d like things to go her way.  Is that too much to ask?”

                Molly pulled her son into her arms.  “Charlie,” she said.  “Let’s just hope for a miracle.   Come now, why don’t we get you cleaned up?”  She scourgified the blood off of his clothes before he left to wash his hands, and the three settled down to wait. 

                “Mr. Charles Weasley?” Charles looked up to see a healer standing before him and stood up dumbly.  The Healer spoke again.  “Perhaps we should sit?” He looked at the others.  “I assume this is your family?”

                “My parents and brother,” said Charlie as he sat down again.  He could feel Arthur put his hand on his shoulder, steadying him for the news. 

                “I’m very sorry,” said the Healer.  “There was nothing we could do.  We spoke with your regular healer, Mathias Duerst to get her complete history- but it was just too late.” 

                Charlie heard Molly sob behind him and felt Arthur’s iron grip on his shoulder as he slumped in defeat.  “Is Hermione all right?” he asked.  He felt his chest tightening with the deep sorrow he felt, not only for the loss of their child but for his wife, who had lost so much already.

                “She’s still asleep,” said the Healer.  “She has lost a lot of blood, but we managed to replenish her.  You can go see her if you want- just one visitor at a time for now.”

                “Go on, son,” said Arthur.  “We’ll wait here.”

                “You don’t need to wait,” said Charlie.  “Could you go let the family know?  I don’t think I can do it.”  Molly and Arthur nodded, and both hugged their son in turn.  They were turning to leave when they saw members of the press rushing towards them.

                “Mum, you and Dad go,” said Bill.  “I’ll stay here and deal with this.”  He watched Charlie head into the recovery room and turned to face down the reporters, his wand in his outstretched hand.  “There are no comments, and there is no story.  You lot have done enough, and you will leave her alone, or I will obliviate every single one of you.  Now go.”  Seeing the look on his face, the reporters all turned and left quickly.

                Charlie entered the recovery room and found Hermione, lying in bed, pale with faint bruiselike shadows under her eyes.  He sat down next to her bed and just watched her.  It was unfair what was happening to her- it made him angry.  He smoothed her hair back as she slept and wiped the tears from his eyes as he grieved for their lost child.  He knew they would mourn together, but he needed to be strong for her first.

………

                Molly and Arthur landed back at the Burrow to find the rest of their children and their spouses waiting quietly for news.  Molly couldn’t bring herself to say anything- she just shook her head and went to the kitchen to do what she did best, feed her family.  Arthur took a moment to tell Fleur that Bill had stayed behind to help Charlie and deal with the reporters that had sniffed out the story, but after that, headed to his shed to lose himself in his muggle contraptions.  The rest of the family sat quietly for a while, not sure what to say anymore.

………

                Hermione woke up slowly and winced at the dull ache she felt in her abdomen.  Looking around, she found her wand by her bedside and took it, waving it over her belly as she had in the kitchen at the Burrow.  Nothing.  She waved it again and still heard nothing.  She sobbed as she waved the wand again, waking Charlie up.  “Hermione, Sweetheart,” Charlie said.  He gently tried to take her wand away, but she refused to give it up. 

                “I need to hear it, Charlie,” she said hysterically.  “The heartbeat.  I need to hear our baby.”  She was growing increasingly panicked.  “Why can’t I hear it?”  Charlie tried to calm her, but Hermione was inconsolable.  “Please, Charlie.  The baby is still there right?  Please?”

                “I’m so sorry, Sweetheart,” he whispered, cradling Hermione in his arms. “They did everything they could.”  His arms tightened around her as she sobbed, but he couldn’t get her to calm down. 

                He heard the door open behind them, and his mother came into view.  “Oh, my girl,” she said coming to sit on the bed and pull Hermione into her arms, rocking her as she wailed.  He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Arthur standing there.  Arthur pulled Charlie up and into his arms, holding him tightly.

                “I don’t know how to help her Dad,” said Charlie.  “She’s hurting so badly.”

                “We’ll get through this, son,” said Arthur.  “She’s strong- she just needs time.”  They watched as a healer came over with a sedative and administered it to Hermione with Molly’s help and waited as Hermione sagged down in Molly’s arms, going back to sleep.

                “Excuse me,” they heard from behind them.  “I was hoping I could have a word?”  They turned around to see Draco Malfoy standing before them holding a small container.

                “Draco Malfoy?” asked Arthur.  “What are you doing here?”

                “I work here,” said Draco.  “I was called to confer on your case due to the special circumstances.”  He hesitated for a moment.  “I’m very sorry for your loss.”  He came to sit down, glancing over at the sleeping Hermione.  “It was my aunt who used the dagger on her- your brother says the curse mutated?” he asked Charlie.

                “He thinks so,” said Charlie.  He briefly explained what had happened between Hermione and Gabrielle and how it seemed to affect her.  Draco nodded and examined what remained of the mark on her arm. 

                “When I was told about it, I checked out what few items I have left from Bellatrix- she was my aunt.  Most of her things were destroyed or turned over to the ministry- all I have left are a few journals.  I did find an entry that talked about the dagger she cursed, however.”  He looked at the mark again.  “I felt so helpless when Bellatrix did that to her,” murmured Draco.  “It’s part of why I became a healer.”  He snapped out of this thought.  “I ran some tests on the er…remains and checked Hermione as well based on what I read.  The curse has completely left her body- this,” he indicated the container, “was the last of it.  I’ve turned my findings over to the ministry and your brother since he broke most of the curse.”

                “Will Hermione be all right?” asked Charlie, gazing at the container in Draco’s hands.

                “I’ll leave that for our senior healer to answer,” said Draco.  “My tests were all curse-based.  I didn’t examine her physically because well…that would just be weird.”  Charlie nodded.  “Anyway,” continued Draco.  “I wanted to offer you the remains if you wanted to say goodbye.  We find that it helps.”

                Charlie took the container from Draco.  “Thank you,” he said softly. 

                “My condolences again,” said Draco as he left the room.

                Arthur took the container from Charlie.  “We’ll hang onto it until you and Hermione decide what to do,” he said.  “Now, we’ll stay with her.  Why don’t you go and clean up, get something to eat.  Your brothers and sisters are back at the Burrow wanting to see you.”

………

                Charlie arrived back at the somber household and accepted hugs from everyone there.  After he had showered and changed, he sat at the table with a plate of food in front of him, but he only picked at it as he thought about Hermione.  “How is she?”  He looked up to see George sitting at the table with him.  “And how are you?”

                “She’s asleep again,” said Charlie.  “She woke up this morning and tried several times to find the baby’s heartbeat.  She went hysterical when she couldn’t find it.”  He rubbed his eyes wearily.   “I feel so helpless.  First, all we could do was wait, and I couldn’t even give her peace of mind.  And now…” He trailed off, feeling useless and filling with despair.

                George sat for a moment, unsure of what to say.  “We’re all here for you, Charlie,” said George, covering Charlie’s hand with his.  “You know, we were all worried about you after the breakup with that Gabrielle- we saw you bury yourself in your work and we were all convinced you would be alone- unwilling to take a chance on getting hurt again.  You both already have made it through a lot.  Well…I won’t insult you with useless pep talks.  Just know we’re all here for you.”

                “Thanks,” said Charlie.  He looked down at the plate of food again and picked up his fork.  He knew the next few days would be hard, and as much as he wanted to just crawl into bed and sleep until it was over, he knew that he would need to be strong, for both of them.

………

                Hermione woke again and looked around groggily.  She saw Molly sitting in a chair by her bed, knitting and Charlie dozing in another chair nearby.  “Charlie?” she called.  She could feel the dull ache in her belly, and she remembered what happened the last time she woke up.

                “Hermione,” said Charlie, coming over to sit by her on the bed as Molly put her knitting aside.  “I’m glad you’re awake.”

                “It hurts,” she said.  “I didn’t think it would hurt like this.”

                “The healer says you’ll be sore for a little while,” said Charlie.  “I have some pain medicine for you if you need it.”  Hermione thought about it for a moment and then nodded her head.  Charlie helped her drink from the vial and watched her anxiously as the medicine set in.

                “The baby is gone,” Hermione said.  The silence in the room answered the question for her. Charlie opened his arms, and Hermione let him wrap his arms around her.

                “I’m sorry, Sweetheart,” said Charlie.  “I wish I knew how to help you.”

                “You are,” whispered Hermione. 

………

                Charlie arrived the next day to find Hermione awake and talking to Draco Malfoy.  They looked up as he approached and he noted that Hermione looked better.  “Charlie,” said Draco.  “We were just talking about the curse or lack thereof.  When the two of you are ready, our senior healer will be in to see you.”  Draco nodded to the two of them and walked away.

                “What did he say?” asked Charlie.

                “He just told me about the curse being gone and what he found in Bellatrix’s papers- he said he had already talked to you about it.”  Charlie studied her a little; she looked so pale and small lying in bed.  Hermione sighed.  “I should have shown Bill this curse mark right away when I got it.  If I had, then maybe…”

                “Sweetheart, stop,” said Charlie, taking her hand.  “We promised each other that we wouldn’t blame ourselves.  We knew that if it were going to happen, there would be nothing we could do about it, no matter how many precautions we took.”  He wiped the tears from Hermione’s eyes.  “I know it hurts.  It hurts me too.”

                “Mr. and Mrs. Weasley?”  The two looked up to find a woman standing there.  “I’m Healer Alcott-I was attending when you were brought in.”  She came and sat in a chair by the bed.  “First, I’m very sorry for your loss.  We see a lot of miscarriages here, and it never gets easier when we lose a little one.  I just wanted to tell you that Mrs. Weasley is healing well- I know Healer Malfoy has been here to discuss the curse issue with you- so that’s been covered.  Physically, Mrs. Weasley will be fine, and there should be no reason the two of you cannot conceive and carry to full term in the future.”

                “So there was no damage or anything?” asked Charlie.

                “Not that we can detect,” said Healer Alcott.  “I would recommend waiting a few months before trying again- use contraception charms until then.”  She paused before speaking again.  “I wanted to make another recommendation to you if you’ll permit.  I know Healer Malfoy gave you the container with the remains already.  It may seem odd, but we recommend that you do something to say goodbye- give some closure to you and your family.  We’ve found that it seems to help parents more when they do that.  I’ll leave it up to you.  If you don’t want to, we can take care of it here.”             

                Hermione and Charlie looked at each other.  “We’ll keep them.”

………

                A few days later, the Weasley family, including Percy and Audrey, who had returned from their honeymoon early for it, laid the baby to rest next to Fred, Remus, and Tonks.  A few others had turned up- Draco Malfoy, Hagrid, Andromeda and Teddy, and Dr. Schiesser.  Charlie held Hermione to him as Bill and George filled the tiny grave and carefully placed the headstone that simply read “Our Baby.”  It was then they finally said goodbye to the last and littlest victim of a terrible war.


	13. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I really hope you liked this. I have a few other Hermione stories I'm working on that I hope to post soon.

Eighteen Months Later  

              Charlie gazed unbelieving at the little bundle in Hermione’s arms- his little girl.  The past nine months had been both joyful and fearful at the same time- Hermione had been afraid to try again and then it had taken a little while for it to happen.  As the months went by and Hermione’s belly grew, and she and the baby both stayed healthy, they felt more at ease and stayed cautiously hopeful.  “Want to hold her Daddy?” asked Hermione, passing the baby off to him.  Charlie took the baby gently in his arms and brushed her soft cheek with his finger. 

                “So, what do we call her?” asked Charlie.  They had gone through the pregnancy not knowing if they were having a boy or a girl, and decided not to have a name ready.  They had a list, but they wanted to see what fit the baby best before deciding.  They both looked at the baby again- the little wisps of hair on her head were red, and it seemed like she would have Charlie’s blue eyes, but it was a little too early to tell. 

                “Rose?” asked Hermione.  Charlie smiled- the name was perfect.  “Go on- everyone is waiting to meet her,” said Hermione. 

                Charlie carried little Rose out to the waiting room where his family was waiting.  “It’s a girl,” he said quietly, putting the sleeping baby in Molly’s arms.  “Rose Granger Weasley,” he said.  He looked at all his siblings and their families.  There had been a few more children added in- Bill and Fleur had another girl, Dominique.  Percy and Audrey had Molly and George and Angelina had Roxanne.  Molly cuddled the baby to her as Arthur ran his finger over her red hair. 

                “How is Hermione?” asked Harry, bouncing Albus on his knee.  They had just found out that Ginny was pregnant again, and Harry found himself hoping for a little girl of his own.

                “She’s fine,” said Charlie.  “Relieved that she’s healthy, and she’s pretty tired.”  He watched as some of his family took turns holding the baby and letting the children have a peek before taking Rose in his arms again.  She was starting to wake up and fuss a bit. “Time to eat, I think,” said Charlie.  “We’ll see you all later.”  He took Rose back into Hermione’s room and watched as the nurse helped her adjust Rose into a comfortable position for feeding.  After Rose was latched and quietly feeding, Charlie sat down on the bed next to his wife again. “Feeling all right?” he asked her.

                “Better than ever,” said Hermione.  “Everyone got a proper look then?”

                “Everyone is here,” said Charlie.  “Ron brought his girlfriend- the good one.”  Hermione chuckled.  Ron had brought a series of tarts around- those who were attracted to Ron Weasley, war hero and Auror before finally realizing that he was looking for the wrong girl. His latest girlfriend, Charlotte, was smart, bossy and so much like Hermione that everyone grinned when she came around.  She got along well with everyone, and Hermione made sure to point out to Ron that this one was a keeper.  “I think he may pop the question soon.”

                “I hope so,” said Hermione.  “Let’s hope he doesn’t screw this one up.”

                “I think he learned his lesson,” said Charlie.  “I’m glad the two of you were able to be friends again, I know you missed him.”

                “I did,” said Hermione.  “I’m glad too.”  They watched their daughter as she ate and snuggled into each other, grateful for everything they had together.

 

FIN


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